TRAPPED BY FIRE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21471, 20 April 1933, Page 6

TRAPPED BY FIRE

YOUNG FARMER'S DEATH / ■ ELEVEN PEOPLE SAVED REFUGE/IN WATERHOLE ' [from: oue own correspondent] MELBOURNE. April 13 Four adults and seven children fleeing from the hush fire which burned a young Gippsland farmer, George Fairbrother, to death early on Tuesday morning, , put up a terrifying fight against the flames before a change of wind saved them from their neighbour's fate. Smouldering fires in the bracken along the Gynyah-Boolara road wero fanned, by a north wind into new life about 11 p.m. on Monday, and at 1 a.m. on Tuesday the flames became so threatening to the four houses along the road that Mr. G. Irwin decided to Warn his neighbours. Mr. Irwin awakened Mr. Fairbrother, who immediately removed his bed and clothing into the roadway. Going on to the home of Mr. G. Smith, the latter got out his motor-truck and took on board his wife and their three children, and 3lr. and Mrs. Irwin and their four children.

They could not locate Mr. Fair brother. « »

The party had only gone 50 yards when the flying charcoal and blazing bark, set fire to the truck. The occupants jumped from the truck and made for a waterhole, but had only gone 20 yards when they heard the petrol tank of the truck explode. They remained immersed in the waterhole, with blazing bark floating overhead and falling alongside them until a change of wind made their position apparently safe. The party crawled out to continue their journey along the road to a neighbour's home outside the danger zone, but .the wind veered again, and once more they found themselves in the centre of flying sparks, so they returned to the waterhole, where they sat in the water for two hours until the menace -was past. Rain and the abating of the wind stopped the spread of the fire, and the party were able to crawl out of the water and make for the nearest house. 'At daylight the men went back along the road and found Mr. Fairbrother's body about ,300 yards from his hut. Ho had taken the opposite direction to the Smiths and Irwins, and had been smothered in the dense smoke. Had he taken the other direction, he might have been saved.