BUSH FIRES IN SOUTH.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17113, 19 March 1919, Page 6

BUSH FIRES IN SOUTH.

EXTENSIVE Da|| URGE AREA BW£p T \ SETTLERS FIGHT IMPOSITION NOW Hop EPrjl fBT TELEGRATH.-OWN- ' . DANNEVIRKE..J, (,) Fanned by a gale, bush fires }, "• raging in the district, and extensi" age must have been caused. Thn T f V down towards evening, and rain I ' it is thought that the settlers k! got the better of the flames. iv* "** ever, is by no means dear, as z\\S are busily fighting the fire, and ml d| tion i« meagre. ott DiTaking advantage- of the dry m in view of an expected change (a 9s many fietllers in the country a- tils , started last week t/> burn off th patches of bush which still stand on of the more recently settled sectin heavy gale, which "sprang up jJjjli night, however, caused this n*! l operation to become a creat m ? themselves and neighbours, and fT"? 1 ' fires were the result. The ft spreading rapidly from log to i - . *8! At 'JVrehnnga, a rich dairying■ d 3 the sett'ers have had a very 6 tr '' time. and in defending their nom«T* the flames, Messrs. McLean, P o *£* field, Sbarplin, J. F. Harris, andl ft •' with probably many others, were 1 , night. ' "P l| l In the Ruaroa (li.4nVt, which has V move recently reclaimed from the fc 4' matters are much worse, and vaic ' ports to hand trive the damage J In'" very considerable, it being stated ft! haystacks, and even houses, have C" destroyed, with loss of stock in J? cases. *

It is stated that the beginnings nt \i Giesen's new house have been destroyed' and also the camps of the worW ' There is no doubt that with the hi'k '.rind and dry state of the country the 5 has swept over a larjre area, '" Heavy bush fires are also said to l raping in the coast district, especially a Horoeka, but no definite details are avail able from this quarter. '"'"