DESTRUCTIVE BUSH FIRE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17338, 9 December 1919, Page 8

DESTRUCTIVE BUSH FIRE.

—, —» POVERTY BAY '' OUTBREAK. ONE SETTLER BURNED OUT. TWO HOUSES DESTROYED. FLAMES STILL SPREADING. [BY TELEGRAPHOWN CORRESPONDENT.] . GISBOENE, Monday. The dry season is responsible for an extensive bush and grass fire, which is in progress in the Matawai-Tahora district to-day. One settler, Mr. W. H. Wood, has been burned out, the fire having made practically a clean sweep of his homestead and grassed country. The fire was first observed about four o'clock on Friday afternoon. A heavy westerly gale was then blowing, and the flames swept from a westerly direction into the back of Mr. Wood's property. The fire then travelled on to the road, into Mr. Harding's section, along to Messrs. Judd Bros., and into the Government reserve. It burned ior a mile back to Messrs. Wilians' and Wood's boundary. This morning the fire was burning on Mr. Wilians' property, and was still spreading. Mr. Wood estimates that fully 600 acres of his section have been burned, including practically all his grass country, together with two houses and a quantity of stock. On Saturday night the flames seemed to have been checked, but the fire was travelling against the wind all tlie time. Yesterday morning the position appeared safe. Mr. Wood and • his men rode over the property as far as possible, but as the morning advanced the fir© began to work round, and it was decided to lose no time in getting off all the available stock. Mrs. Wood and th e other members of the family had to hurriedly leave home at about three o'clock. The flames were then threatening the second house bn the property, occupied by the men, and about 500 or 600 yards from the homestead. The fire was put out. On proceeding down to th road, however, Mr. Wood discovered that the homestead was catching alight. Galloping over to the house, he attempted to rescue some of the contents, but the flames rapidly drove him out of the building. In less than twenty -minutes the whole of th buildings were in flames. Mr. Wood and his shepherd, Mr. Porter, returned to the second house, where they kept on putting out incipient fires. Towards evening the settlers came over from Matawai and the neighbouring properties, and urged them to abandon the place, as they were being surrounded, and there was not a chance of saving anything. The smoke by this time was suffocating, and they had no alternative but to get out while they had .a chance. This morning Mb. Wood found that the second house had been burned to the ground. Both houses contained five rooms, arid Mr. Wood is a heavy loser The buildings were insured for £1000 with bhe (New Zealand Insurance Company, Other settlers are now busy mustering their stock. "