THE DROUGHT.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 12 February 1908, Page 2

THE DROUGHT.

RECUItREN"C;« OF THE BUSH KIMR-i. OUTBREAK AT PUKTTV BRIDUK : VALI.Hi. ( (From Our Wakefield Correspondent.) . A bush firs start .'d r.t the back of [Mr T. Price's homes* 'ad yesterday afI ternoon, and, fanned by a strong south,- , west' wind, s'.vc^ft through some high , fern and st -ind in.; bush lo within a few ( i'et of the house. Ail the family were , absent at the time, and had it not I been for the prompt and vigorous action of several neighbours the house t must have been destroyed. Those who , were fighting the fire used wet sacks and green branches, and also chopped down dead trees near the house, and thus immediate danger was averted. The fire ccntinue'i to spread with tremendous rapidity Crossing the road, it swept a paddock of Mr Price, senr., and was on the opposite hill, a distance of half a mile, in a very few minutes. . The house of Mv E. " Hoult, junr., ', \v?.i in danger for a time, until the , wir.d .-hanged, and then the fire was '. bl' wn toward; Mr C UavieS' stables and stacks, which had to be watched. Mis Da vies and the children had to be re-moved on account of the density of the smoke, and were tak< ti tn l'e!;r>-'ve. Mr P. Baigent, of Wakefield, suffered a severe loss yesterday afternoon, a fire having got into two stacks of oat sheaves, the majority of which was spoiled, either by fire ar.d smoke or by water. The stacks contained about 12 tons of sheaves, and practically tha' whole of his winta| fodder. Appar : ently the fire was caused by a spark from a burning log close by. Mr Baigent whs absent from W.me at the lime, otherwise he may h»ve been abla to have averted the misfortune. __ I