Fire Danger Less This Summer In Waipoua

Northern Advocate, 7 January 1948, Page 2

Fire Danger Less This Summer In Waipoua

THE position regarding; forest fire risks in the Waipoua area is considered good so far this summer. There has been just enough rain of late to keep things damp and, with additional equipment to hand, it is considered the outlook is the best it has been for years. This information was given to the Northern Advocate by the officer in charge of the Waipoua forest (Mr A. Moore).

Two lookout stations in the forest are manned constantly by personnel equipped with suecial smoko-sighters. Each of these stations is linked by land telephone line with the forest headquarters and. on sighting smoko communicates direct, giving the compass bearing from the station. By taking a cross bearing headquarters is then able to pin-point the exact location of the fire. RADIO-EQUIPPED If only a small puff of smoke is observed one person equipped with a radio transmitter proceeds to the scene of (he fire. Should he find that the fire has reached hazardous proportions, he then radioes back for reinforcements. Trucks used for conveying large numbers of men to fires are fitted with 'sirens. As soon as the Siren sounds all men drop whatever job they are engaged on and assemble at points in readiness to join the truck. The forest is also supplied with two specially fitted trucks. One is a fire tanker which is capable of carrying 300 gallons of water, and the other is the fire engine fitted with pumps and capable of carrying 400 gallons of water. Tiie iob of the fire tanker is to supply the fire engine with water when it is engaged in fighting a fire. If the fire is in fern or scrub the method used to deal with it is usually to go forward of the flames, cutting a firebreak in the greenery and then burning back from this. • When a fire is in the forest itself, endeavours are usually made to isolate the fire by the removal of all dead and dry material in the vicinity. If a fire is burning in the dry leaves on the forest floor, a wide trench is dug and the earth from this thrown, back towards the fire.

So far this summer there have been very few motorists through the forest roads, said Mr Moore. It had been noticed that the number had increased since the beginning of January, probably due to the release of the new month’s petrol quota. The conduct of motorists this year had been good. However, last week one of the patrol men had discovered a small billy fire still burning in the growth on the siqle of the road, the motorists apparently having moved on. Had tiie persons responsible for the fire been apprehended by the patrol they would have been liable to a fine of 1150 or three months’ imprisonment. Mr Moore had a word of praise for the farmers whose land adjoins the forest. “They cooperate well," he said, “even if one docs state in a jocular vein that the only time he can get a permit to burn is when it is raining." The rainfall for December at Waipoua was 3.16 in. The year's fall was 63.29in.* compared with an average over 12 years of 65.91 in.