BUSH AND RAUPO FIRES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17251, 29 August 1919, Page 6

BUSH AND RAUPO FIRES.

•» BLAZE IN THAMES DISTRICT. REFLECTION SEEN IN CITY. The bright glare seen in the southeastern sky on Wednesday evening, which was at first thought to bo due to an eruption on White Island, is now known to have been the reflection of an extensive fire of raupo about three miles from Turua, on the Thames River. The glare seen in the early evening was due to a bush fire which was burning brightly in the afternoon at the hack of the Hauraki Plains. The larger blaze sprang up late in the evening, and passengers by the steamer from Paeroa state that when the vessel was passing Turua the whole countryside was brightly illuminated. Raupo dies down at this time of the year, and the extremely dry weather experienced recently has no doubt contributed to the blaze. No information has been received locally as to whether any damage was done to farm properly. A message from our Thames correspondent states that some anxiety was felt there on Wednesday evening, as it was feared that some of the farm buildings on the Hauraki Plains were afire, but as the glare spread in extent and continued to show for several hours it was thought that the blaze wag. more in the nature of a bush or buo-ning-off fire. The heavy rain experienced yesterday has apparently not had the effect of suppressing the blaze, for the glare was seen in the south-eastern sky again last evening.