Fire In Balmoral State Forest

Northern Advocate, 21 February 1939, Page 5

Fire In Balmoral State Forest

[Per Press Association. Copyright CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. A fire in the Balmoral State Forest Plantation (Canterbury) was confined yesterday to an area of 200 acres, by the action of five forestry workers, who extinguished a fresh ouotbreak beyond a firebreak. 'l’he area partly destroyed was planted in young trees, some of which are expected to revive if there should be rain. Starting at the north-western end of the 24,000-acre forest, about seven miles from Culverden, and fanned by a north-west wind, the fire seen got out of control. The spectacular blaze attracted people from as far away- as Hanmer, and at the height of the fire, which began at 2 p.m., 150 people were fighting it with shovels. Disaster to the Balmoral Forest was threatened at one stage. The method of fighting a fire by starting another fire at the break was used near the junction of the Short-cut Road and the Takoa Road, but a spark set the old trees across the road alight. The fresh outbreak was fought courageously by five forestry workers with shovels, and by 6.15 p.m. the fire was under control.