BUSH FIRES.

New Zealand Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 3329, 11 January 1898, Page 3

BUSH FIRES.

A portion of the hills to the north’ard of Wellington presented a bright spectacle last night, being covered with ft glowing crown of flame which glittered aud glimmered through the clear night air. For the past few days fires have been raging along the mountains abutting the Hutt Valley in several places, and though, speaking generally, not much harm, has been done, but some good, much natural scenery has been destroyed, and several pleasant resorts where the city folks loved to foregather during the summer holidays. Several fern gullies abutting Petone in particular have been visited by the flames and utterly destroyed—an irreparable .loss from a scenic point of view. At Silverstream a gre has been ragingtor a day or two past,, which ran oyer the spot where Hawthorne-was buried, and is now raging through the black birch wilderness in the hills far back. - A fire which started at Paikakariki some dftys ago came on over the hills, destroying a great deal qf tbp bush, scrub and herbage en route. At Moonshine the settlers were obliged to rally; on Sunday night to fight back the fire, and in several gases to protect their homesteads. Qn one or two stations and farms severe Jesses of stock were experienged. Mr John Jones, of Moonshine, estimates that he has lost 800 sheep, and Mr Kerr, of Horokiwl, a considerable number. All the settlers in that vicinity have lost a considerable quantity of fencing, and the fear is expressed that if rain does not comb soon there will be a shortage of feed, whioh'will seriously affect the stock. In the Wairarapa district, where heavy gales have prevailed, the fires have spread in an alarming manner. At Eeatherston, thesmoke was so dense as to seriously inconvenience the &>£ tor ft time Mr Monokton’s* beautiful residence iya? |p such danger from flying sparks that it was thought necessary to remove the furniture. Luckily the wind veered, and the fire took ftnQthey direction, hut. it was a narrow escape. .. .. Op Sunday th,e grass oft the Iftquerenikau Plains, between Featherston and Gfeytown, somehow became ignited, and the flames rushed across their surface with the rapidity of a prairie fire. A great.deal of fencing on the properties of Mespr? Setter ftnd Kempton were destroyed, and some sheep fpipled uj}. At Carterton several fires were going atonpe, ftnjlftgpod deal of damage was done to the* fences and crops of individual'settlers. Oh Sunday night the hills surrounding the whole valley'iyer.e blaming for miles, presenting a magnificent epeptaclp. fho holdings sjjr? rounding Masterton were ftot free from the fiery visitation, and here and there a great deal of grass was burnt, hut no serious damage done. Eaiu fell about midnight, and the effect on the fires was at once seen, the tendency being to check the sprpml of theijaiges, *Jn the Fortyr mile Bush district Ares' have been burning fiercely for some daye, but a heavy rain fell pft 'Sunday njght, and* ift- a great measure put a stop to the conflagration.

By Telegraph.—Press Association. C-tfiTEj|-TON, Japuary IQ, yesterday bush fires, fanned by fiortb? west winds, raged along the face of the Tararua hills, behind Belvedere and Dalefield. Fences, sheds and a few sheep are the extent of the damage reported. Bain checked the fire at midnight. Pahiatua, January 10. Destructive fires have raged yesterday and last night' }a the Ifangahqo distrigfc. Several settlers have been burnt opt qnd mnch damage done. Bain fell early this morning. .