FIRES.

New Zealand Gazette and Wellington Spectator, Volume IV, Issue 314, 10 January 1844, Page 2

FIRES.

We have had them in the town andcountry this.'wsek. Several houses, .built in the maori fashion, were burnt on Thorndon Flat on Saturday; last. The accident we were informed was occasioned by a child playing with

a burnt stick. The propriety of requiring of parties having houses built of, such combustible materials, in the neighbourhood of valuable property, to remove them is evident. There may be cases of hardship, but they must not be entertained to the serious disadvantage of a large quantity of valuable property. In cases; however, were the houses are isolated or not, should they take fire, and are not likely to hazard valuable property, we still think, under the pressure of the times, the removal of such buildings may safely be left to the convenience of the proprietors or occupants. We may be quite certain parties do not occupy suoh buildings from choice,. and that consequently,' when in a condition to erect better buildings, they will do so.

This is the season at which the natives fire the bush ; and the settlers have adopted the season selected by the natives. The clearings this year are very extensive, and extensive fires ignited by the settlers and natives about the town and up the Hutt, have been maintained for sometime. The season is remarkably dry ; such an absence of rain has not been witnessed since the settlement was formed. It has always been observed, that when so long without rain we have continued wind. The absence of rain and prevalence of wind this season have caused the bush fires to burn with unusual fury and to spread far, beyond the distance intended by those engaged in clearing the land. Arising out of this is most material injuiry to the belt which surrounds the town, and distruction of crops' and buildings. We know, not the best remedy which could be adopted to prevent mischief . from firing the bush. The most important portions of the crops are generally harvested in this district, by the early part of February. The bush is then still dry and continues so, for all the purposes of burning, until the end of April. We would therefore suggest that natives and settlers should be forbidden to set the bush on fire, in the neighbourhood of cleared and occupied lands, until the month of February. We, however, offer this suggestion with diffidence, as we feel it may possibly be shown that our cure may be more mischievous, than the utmost amount of evil which may be reasonably anticipated to arise under the present practice. And we therefore conclude by soliciting our country correspondents, to communicate their views to us on this subject.