FIRES IN BUSH

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23273, 16 February 1939, Page 10

FIRES IN BUSH

VICTORIAN DISASTER INVESTIGATING THE CAUSES BREACHES OF REGULATIONS f FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT"} MELBOURNE, Feb. y The causes of the tragic bush fires in Victoria last month are now beingsprobed, both through investigations by the Royal Commission and through evidence given at the inquests on the victims. Action is also being taken to sheet home to those who caused fires the gravity of the offences. In two cases terms of imprisonment have been imposed, and in numerous other cases fines have been inflicted. One prison sentence was imposed at the Beech Forest Court, where Clarence L. Marriner, pleaded guilty to a charge of having lit fires in the open air in a proclaimed area and during a proclaimed period. He was sentenced to three months' imprisonment, and was fined £25, in default one month's imprisonment, with £lB costs. It was said for the prosecution that the fires were still burning, and that so far damage estimated at £20,000 had been v done. Gangs of men were still fighting the flames. Twenty Other Offenders Fined Evidence was given that forest officers had hurried to the scene of the fires by motor-truck and had walked along a bush track. They traced the hoof marks of a horse to various places where fires had been lit, but they could not catch up with the rider. They went to Apollo Bay, where they saw Marriner coming from the fire area. His horse was hard ridden and tired. A policeman gave evidence that Marriner had told him he had lit the fire 3 so that the re-growth would provide winter feed for his sheep. In the Fern Tree Gully Court 20 persons, charged with having lit fires in the open during tlie proclaimed period were fined sums ranging from £5 to £3O, and a farmer, John Davie, wa3 sentenced to one month's imprisonment Notice of appeal was given. Possible Charge of Manslaughter The possibility of a finding of manslaughter was mentioned by. the coroner, Mr. Tingate, P.M., when be held inquests at Healesville into the deaths of eight persons who perished in bush fires at Toolangi and Narbethong. All the deaths were said to have been caused by the same fire, and evidence was given that a person was strongly suspected of having lit it. Two of the victims, employees of the Forests Commission, lost their lives at Toolangi on January 8, and the sis others perished .on the Acheron Way at Xarbetliong two days later, while trying to escape in motor-cars.

"I will not close these inquests," said Mr. Tingate after he had heard the evidence. "If a person lights a fire J might record a finding of manslaughter if, as in these cases, death results. There is a possibility that we might get more evidence of the cause of the fire, so I nil] adjourn the inquests to Melbourne to a date to be fixed."

Evidence Taken by Royal Commission Mr. Justice Stretton, the Royal missioner on bush firps. is "spending three or four weeks in the devastated areas, inspecting the forests and hearing the evidence of foresters, bushmen and settlers. -

One of the early witnesses before the commission, Mr. J. F. Ezard. president of the Hardwood Millers' Association, said the chief cause of bush fires was

the burning off of scrub by inexperienced people. He suggested that a committee of bushmen and forestry ex-

perts should be formed in bush centres. Local burning off should be controlled by it, and anyone burning off without the committee's permission should be deemed guilty of a criminal act. It should be deemed equally criminal not

to burn when directed: Mr. Ezard said that settlers who occupied the poorer sections, often in the heart of the bush, had to burn to live. Without burning off the loss of life would have been greater. The trouble was that sometimes a settler arrived

who knew nothing about the proper lighting of protective fires and lie burned off in the wrong season.

Inexperienced Human Agencies Bush fires could be started by natural means, said Mr. lizard. A colleague had seen lightning begin a bush fire, and he himself had seen a neap of sawdust light underneath from no apparent cause. On the whole, however, lie attributed most bush fires to inexperienced human agencies. Mr. Ezard said he knew there was a school of thought which was opposed to burning off because of damage to forests. Destruction of humus was deleterious to forests, but it had to be considered whether the risks of retaining the humus, with the possibility orlosing everything, was worth while. Fire Breaks Condemned Air. Maurice M. Dyer, a vice-presi-dent of the Hardwood Millers' Association, said a fire break would not stop a blaze which could travel 20 nines in six hours. He recommended that, as the more serious fires were fanned by northerly winds, the northern slopes should be cleaned by firing them, even if that meant some sacrifice from tlie forestrv point of view. . Mr. A. H. Cuthwaite, chairman ot directors of the Victorian Hardwood Company, expressed the opinion tha the vast majority of fires in saw-milling areas were lit purposely. Smouldering fires were left, lie said, and it was no one's business to put them ou • Wardens should be appointed, power to compel the extinguishing o fires.