Far North Fire Menace Reduced

Northern Advocate, 13 January 1948, Page 6

Far North Fire Menace Reduced

KAITAIA, Tue. (Sp.).—With vivid memories of the destructive bush and scrub fires which swept much of Northland last summer, and to an even worse degree the previous year, Far Northern fire-fighters see in this year’s heavy mid-summer rain a minimising of similar danger. Apart from a fairly big burn at Lake Ohia from which no damage was reported during the New Year holidays, there have been no major outbreaks in the Far North to date.

Main addition to the fire-fighting resources of Kaitaia and district since last summer has been the formation of a new volunteer brigade at Awanui.

This brigade has no fire engine, but is equipped with 12 bucket-pump units of a type proved highly effective against small outbreaks. They can be transported on a truck. The Kaitaia Volunteer Brigade has not yet taken delivery of the hoselaying vehicle to be provided by the stajte for rural fire-fighting, but has its own trailer pump which can be used on bush and scrub outbreaks, leaving the fire engine on town duty.