THE BUSH FIRES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13812, 28 January 1907, Page 3 (Supplement)

THE BUSH FIRES.

EXTENSIVE DAMAGE IN CANTERBURY. A SAWMILL AND FIVE HOUSES BURNED. GREAT ANXIETY. eiIRISTCHURCH, January 22. A destructive tiro baa been ragin» in and about Kowai Bush, near Springfield, with intermittent intensity, for a weekpast, anil up to this evening ihc flames were still nctivc. Up till noon yosierda.v about 1000 acres, belonging to Mr Fied Bonham, had been swept by the tire, and a largo number of sheep perished in the flames. Mr Johnston, rjrupriulor of the Mount Tor.esse Estate, liaa also lost u largo number of sheep, with a quantity of fencing and native bush, and it i's ffiared that a. considerable area of his tussock country on tho face of the; hills between Otarama and tlio pealt of Mount lorlCsse tn«y possibly bo swept by thn flarnes. The lire reached tho good' bush at Paterson's Creak and raged with fury. Grass lires were also burning to-day in the Weaterficld district near Ashburton, in tho Hinds district, and along the hille between Lyttolton and Governor's Bav. CHRISTCHURCII, January 23. From Tuesday morning a hush iirn lias been raging in the Patterson's Creek bush, a few miles beyond Springfield, iho bush belongs to tho Government, and is a favourite holiday refort. The firo was kept in check by" a gang of 30 men until about noon to-day, when it overca-nip their efforts and destroyed the Public Works Department's sawmill in the bush. Three of the cottages belonging to the sawmill hands were also destroyed, with their contents; alfo an unoccupied furnished house belonging to Mr Jasker, and a small cothigo owned and occupied by James Pptrio. but his furniture was saved. As far as could bo seen from the railway line, I'atterson's Creel; bush was swept by Iho (lames, which means the destruction of the majority of tho living trees. Yesterday afternoon tho fire crossed the Wiiimabriri River and burned a quantity of bush on Woodstock Estate, and from fhore it spread to the Oxford forest, where it is now raging , . It seems to be certain now that, tho whole of Patterson's Crook bush will bo destroyed. Late yesterday afternoon the five reached tho Kowai bush and destroyed 40 acres of green bush, together with a' large area of grass and dead bush. The fire crossed tlio Kowai River, and ignited the bush which adjoins the Mount Tories homestead, but was soon checked. The fact that the fire had, in tho face of a strong nor'-wester blowing at the time, jumped across tho Waimakariri River bed—a. distance of several chains—caused gvoat anxiety for tho safety of a wide area of country, for it is realised that scarcely any natural barrier can. now be relied I upon to stop the fire.

January 24. Tho Kowai bush fire, which extended yesterday to the Woodstock: Run, was stopped beforo any serious damage was done. It was kept from reaching Mr Dixon's woolshed and wool. The fife spread to the View Hill bush, at the baok of the rum paddock, but at 2 o'clock this morning tho wind changed, and for tho present the danger is minimised. If a north-west wind gets up it is feared there will be a clean sweep made through the dead bush on tho track of tho Oxford fire jn January, 1898.

Fearing a repetition of the disaster of 1898, all tho settlers along the base of Mount Oxford wore, busy yesterday and last night m mustering their sheep preparatory for flight should the fire continue to advance. Ono farmer also packed his household goods in view of eventualities. So long aa the prevailing cast wind continues nothing serious 13 anticipated. It is stated, however, that the fires, both at Woodstock and View Hill are freshening. At tho latter place considerable loss has been sustained by _ Messrs Bunn and Barnes respectively, owing to tho destruction of the tramway and bridges connected with their sawmill's at Woodstock. The homestead and woolshed were only saved after a continuous fight extending for 27 hours. Tho View Hill fire was caused by a new chum lighting a fire near Bunivs mill to boil hie billy. The Woodstock firo crossed over from the Kowai sido of tho Waimakariri. The fire in tho Patterson's Creek bush, near Springfield, is now ranging higher on tho hills about Staircase Gully, and a largo area, of bush has been destroyed. Some of the adjoining bush on Monnt Torlesse Estate is also burning. No information with respect to tho extent of the destruction of tho Government forest reservo has jet been received by the Lands Department, but acting under instructions from the Commissioner of Crown Lands tho ranger proceeded to the scene of the fire last night. No report has so far been received from him. The area of the forest reserve is 3842 acres, and the officers estimate that about half of that area ,say 1900 acres, is covored with bush. Adjoining the forest reserve the freehold land has in places a. good deal of bush upon it. The bush is mostly birch. For some years past those engaged in connection with tho construction of tho railway have Iwen taking out the best timber near the railway I!dp. Tin's would render the remaining bush more liable to destruction by fire on account of the dead branches that aro left. The iiroa of tho Kowai recreation reserve adjoining the railway is 57 acres. She department can givo no estimate of tho valuo of tho bush destroyed.

OHRIBTCHUBCH, January 25. With a chango of wind the lire in tho Oxford Bush was checked in its course leading to tho town of Oxford, but it was driven back again across the country it had previously traversed in tho direction oE tho Waimakariri River. Miles of valuable buoh have been destroyed, and the fire is still hurtling fiercely. It w stated by settlors in the locality that only a ■week's steady vain will extinguish it. A number of sheep have been destroyed, but so far no human habitations have been burned