FIRES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19066, 11 January 1924, Page 8

FIRES.

SUNDAY SCHOOL BURST. SPECTATORS’ FOOLISHNESS. (Per United Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, January 10. Tho Avonsido Sunday School, an old wooden structure, which is joined to a more modem brick one, was destroyed by fire at 11.30 last night. Within a few minutes from the time the outbreak was noticed tho whole budding was enveloped in flames, and any cu art to curb the progress of tho fire was futile. The sky was filled with a brilliant reflection, which lighted up dense rolling clov'M of smoke. This attracted crowds, who interfered considerably with the work of the brigade. At 11.30 the City Brigade received the alarm, but owing to a tanneries' fire only one squadron of men was in the station. On arrival at the scene there was little to be done. The wooden portion, had collapsed, and all that remained was a blazing skeleton. One side of the building was next to the Linwood Bowling Club’s green, which was almost flooded with water. The crowd persisted in walking over the green, with the result that it was stirred into mud. PLANTATION OUTBREAKS, valuable forest belt DESTROYED. SETTLERS AS FIRE FIGHTERS. (Peb United Press Association.) ASHBURTON, January 10. The destruction of pasture and forestry plantations by fire, usually attributed to sparks from steam engines, continues in various quarters, keeping the settlers as alert for fire calls as an up-to-date city brigade, A half-mile of County Council forest belt at Carew, 2S miles from Ashburton, was destroyed yesterday despite the efforts of 150 settlers. It is believed to have been ignited by a spark from a traction engine hauling wool. The fire caught tho plantation across the road and spread over an area of three miles and a-half. Constant fighting smothered the outbreaks. BLAZE AT WAITANE. FIRE AT SAWMILL. 80,000 FEET OF TIMBER IN FLAMES. (From Odb Own Correspondent.) GORE, January 10. A serious fire occurred at Halliday’s sawmill at Waitane, near Mataura, on Wednesday, the outbreak resulting in the destruction of a large quantity of white pine timber. The fire occurred at mid-day, when the mill was stopping for lunch. It was then noticed that one of the white pine racks was on fire. The flames had a good hold, and, fanned by the wind, they soon reduced the stock of white pine—some 80,000 feet—to ashes.

The mill hands turned their attention to saving the lower yard, which contained a large stock of black pine and other timber, Mr A. Halliday’s house, garage, and office, and after some difficulty their efforts were successful. A hut near the white pine stack was also burnt.

The contents of the whole yard were covered bv a policy for £2OOO in the Victoria office, and the loss of whfte pine to Messrs Halliday is estimated at over £BOO. Hie fire will cause considerable inconvenience to Messrs Halliday, as the white pine is used in the manufacture of butter boxes, for which the firm has built up a large connection. The owners are rebuilding the tramline straight away, and it is anticipated that in less than three weeks sufficient white pine will be on hand to cope with orders. LUPINES ABLAZE. LARGE AREA DESTROYED. Yesterday fire broke out in fhe sandhills near Tahuna Park, ar.9 the partly-dry foliage of the lupines blazed merrily. Hie flames raced on, and threatened the looseboxes at the park, but the fire brigade arrived on the scene and prevented a spread in that direction. Danger in anv other ouarter was not great, and the fire was allowed to travel on towards fit. Kilda. All through the afternoon a dark smoke arose from the sandhibs, while almost black flames plaved among it. and clump after clump of lupines was burned awav. Hien the smoke became denser and the flames fewer: the lupmes nearer the St. Kilda entrance to the beach were more spare and greener, and by 5 o’clock >t was apparent that the fire was nraeticallv at an end. Now a charred cobection of branches remains where once stood an area of greenness. A GPASS *TRE The City Fire Brigade received a call to Elgin road, Mornington, at 10.50 a.m. yesterday to attend to a grass fire, and extinguished it without trouble. GRASS AND BUSH FIRES. WAIRARAPA SETTLERS’ PLIGHT. (Pkb UNTTTn pprsr Assort* no ft t MASTERTON, January 10. In common with other centres where drought conditions are prevailing the settlers in parts of the Wairarapa Valley are experiencing trying times coping_ with the grass and bush fires. Picnic parties and the Railway Department are the principal offenders. Yesterdav. shortly after the down express passed Waincawa, a fire sprang up in the paddocks owned by Mrs L. Compton, adjoining the line. Fanned by a strong westerly wind, the fire spread over an area of approximately 20 acres. Railway gangers and power hoard employees, working in the vicinity, and passersby. banded together to combat the spread of the conflagration, which was only arrested when within 10 yards of Mrs Compton’s residence. Several firefighters were burned and prostrated in the terrific struggle to stem the approaching flames. . , Owners whose properly adjoins the favourite picnic resorts, have suffered through the loss of crops and timber, and are resorting to the measure of forbidding persons 'to trespass on their land.