Grass Fire Destroys One House, Menaces Six

Northern Advocate, 9 January 1948, Page 2

Grass Fire Destroys One House, Menaces Six

CHRISTCHURCH, Fri. (P.A.)— Sweeping rapidly across many acres of tinder dry pasture, a fire yesterday afternoon destroyed the six-roomed house of Messrs W. A. and J. T- Andrews and its outbuildings in Buchanan’s Road, Sockburn, and menaced about six other houses. The outbreak was first noticed about 3.45 o’clock. After travelling across a big paddock of tall, dry grass, the fire was checked by a team of volunteer beaters only a few feet from a large house.

Two fire tenders and 60 men were sent from the Wigram Air Station, and there were scores of civilian helpers. Lack of water proved a difficulty, and limited quantities were brought up in tanks on lorries. Meanwhile the fire had been spreading through gorse, pasture and macrocarpa hedges towards houses occupied by the Andrews brothers, Messrs F. Smith, L. Cavalier, and L. Edwards. About six fowl houses at the back of Messrs Andrews house were destroyed and the back of the house started burning fiercely. Mr W. A. Andrews attempted to save some of the contents, but this' was impossible. Neighbours rescued a young thoroughbred horse from a stable. PLANTATION SWEPT The house was burned to the ground within 20 minutes. The fire threatened Mr Cavalier’s house, and the stables behind it. Preparations wei’e made to evacuate Mr Cavalier’s house, and clothing and some furniture were taken out, but the flames were halted before they reached the buildings. About 100 acres of pinus insignis plantations and pastures were swept by fire at Winston, near Ashburton, today. Two hundred acres of pastures were burned at Rotherham, North Canterbury.

The Achray station homestead and valuable stud sheep were in danger, but 100 fire-fighters checked the flames at the edge of a 40 acre wheatfield.