SERIOUS GRASS FIRES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19067, 12 January 1924, Page 12

SERIOUS GRASS FIRES.

OUTBREAK IN MARLBOROUGH. SETTLERS' HEAVY LOSSES. HUNDREDS OF ACRES OF FEED DESTROYED. ■ (Pee United Psesb Association.) BLENHEIM, January 11. A serious grass fire occurred at Upton Downs, in the Awatero district, resulting in heavy damage to the farms of Messrs Dalton and Bursill, who lost hundreds of acres of feed. About 150 men battled for five hours to check the blaze, which at one time threatened to sweep the whole country The flames destroyed a stack on Mr Bursill’s farm valued at £IOO, and also three acres of grain in the stook and 200 acres of feed. There was no insurance. Both settlers are heavy losers. . A big fire is now raging m the vicinity of Ugbrooke, but no particulars have been Another big blaze has been reported at Richmond Brook. The outbreak occurred on Mr Maher’s properly, but jumped the road, and is now burning fiercely on Mr \V. G. Andrews’s property. One hundred men are engaged fighting the flames. BIG BLAZE NEAR LEVIN. MANURE WORKS DESTROYED. (Per United Press Association.) LEVIN, January 11. \ serious fire occurred just before midnight bv which the manure works owned hv’ Mr j M. Milne at Poroutawhao were completely destroyed. No work had been carried on for several days, and the lire was discovered by the caretaker but owing to the restricted water supply little could be done to combat the flames. Iho insurances were £4OOO m the Alliance othoo The estimated value of the, works and plant is between £7OOO and £BOOO. LOCAL CALLS. The City Fire Brigade received a cvdl at 10.30 a.m.' yesterday to Lookout Point, near iho Caversham Industrial School. One outbreak had occurred among sonic undergrowth and gum trees, and was extinguished without much damage being done . At 0.5 this morning the City hire Brigade was summoned to Messrs Begg and Go’s premises in Princes street, where a dense volume df smoke was issuing from the gramophone, parlour. The outbreak, winch was confined to the floor, in which a hole was burned, was quickly subdued. It is surmised that the cause of the lire was a lighted cigarette butt, which had been carelessly dropped on some cocoanut matting. The damage was only slight. At 0.30 a.m. the brigade was summoned io M‘ Gregor and Co.’s, foundry in Mason street but the alarm proved to be a false