PLANTATIONS ABLAZE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19235, 26 January 1926, Page 10

PLANTATIONS ABLAZE.

CADETS' CAMP THREATENED. LONG FIGHTS WITH FLAMES. HUNDREDS OF BOYS ENGAGED. [BY TELECItAPH. —OWN COBJtESPOVDENT. ] CHRISTCHURCH, Monday. Fire, which started about six o'clock last evening, swept through about B*oo acres of plantations and grass lands at Burnham, in tho vicinity of tho camp. The cadets in camp fonght the fire for hours and saved the camp property. The fire is still raging, having swept over four miles from tho point of its outbreak toward Sandy Knolls, on tho west coast railway line. At the present time smoke is hanging over the countryside in a thick pall, and the acrid smell of tho fire can be detected three miles from Burnham. Smoke was first seen in Jones' plantation, a mile north of the camp, a young plantation of 500 acres of four-year-old pinus inisignis. Tho company for duty at the camp, D Company Southland and Otago cadets, was hurried out to the fire in motor-lorries and tho battalion, 400 strong, was then assembled and marched to the scene at 8 o'clock. The cadets fought the fire until eleven o'clock, working in choking smoke and constantly menaced by the leaping flames. The boys cut slashes and breaks, and beat out the flames with boughs. The flames travelled through 200 acres of the plantation, going through the dried grass and gorse at incredible speed. Some of the trees were burned down, but most of them, it is expected, will not be seriously damaged. Commendable courage was shown by the cadets, many of whom had narrow escapes from burning. It was reported by a civilian at 6.30 a.m. to-day that the fire was out, but shortly afterwards smoke -was seen rising close to the camp. The A Company, Nelson and Marlborough cadets, rushed to the scene in motor-lorries at 7.30 a.m., the rest <?f the battalion moving off an hour later, by WjJrich time the fire was in defence property and within 300 yds. of the camp. It had started again in the plantation of last night's fight, and had crossed the road into the defence property. A big patch of gorse about 50yds. wide constituted the chief menace.

The flames were approaching the camp buildings with great speed along this ready avenue.' A huge break was cut in the gorse, and by ten o'clock the fire in that - locality was out. Some others of the battalion in the meantime were, working in the plantation north-east of the camp, where the fire had started, trying to save a number of farma which were endangered: The rest of the battalion were " rushed there, except a few who were left watching the fire in the defence property, and fought the fire in the plantation until" 11 a.m., when they wore withdrawn by the order of Major-General R. Young, G.0.C., as a result of the lack of action on the part of numbers of civilians, who were merely interested spectators, ft was considered that the boys were running considerable risk from the fire, which was on three sides of them by this time. Seven or eight hundred acres have been covered by the fire, which is. still burning in the direction of Sandy Knolls, four miles away.