SCRUB FIRE MENACE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22878, 5 November 1937, Page 12

SCRUB FIRE MENACE

LARGE AREA SWEPT

ANXIOUS TIME AT WAIMANGU OUTBREAK IN TE NGAE HILLS [BY TELEGRAPH —OWX CORRESPONDENT] ROTORUA, Thursday An anxious time was spent by the' proprietors of the Waimangu refreshment room and settlers in the vicinity last night, when a fire which had started late in the afternoon in the scrub and fern country near by spread rapidly toward the building and threatened to destroy it. So great was the danger that an urgent message was sent to the Conservator of State Forests at Rotorua, who immediately arranged for five forestry, employees to go out and lend assistance.

Fanned by a good breeze, the flames quickly spread through the dry undergrowth. In order to protect the building back fii-es had to be lighted. The fire swept onward at an alarming pace, but the precautions which had been taken averted the danger to the refreshment rooms. The fire continued to spread all night and was still burning this afternoon, when it was estimated that about 5000 acres of scrub country had been swept. The fire was toward Lake Rotomahana and was slowly burning itself out. Another scrub fire yesterday on the Te Ngae hills, to the east of Kotorua, caused concern to farmers in the area, but overnight it burned itself out without a great deal of damage having been caused.