HOMESTEAD THREATENED

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26078, 15 February 1946, Page 4

HOMESTEAD THREATENED

FIRE IN WAIRARAPA (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 14. A serious bush and grass fire in the Wairarapa came within 50 yards of Mr Thomas Taylor’s Beaumaris Station yesterday, and, despite the efforts of more than 100 fire-fighters, it was only a drop in the wind which saved the property, the furniture of which already had been removed from the house preparatory to evacuation. The fire started over a fortnight ago, but was not particularly dangerous until it entered a 4000-acre Riwa reserve of native bush, which was totally destroyed. Then, under the influence of a strong wind, which varied from the north-west to the south, it ran across the dried, pasture of Mr Taylor’s property, necessitating the hurried removal of stock. A call for assistance was answered by the men of neighbouring properties, and the Masterton County Council staff, hut their efforts looked like being defeated as, time and again, the wind carried blazing material behind them, starting new fires and necessitating a hurried retreat. Beaumaris is an old wooden property surrounded by a large plantation, which would have been ideal fuel for the fire, and the efforts of the firefighters seemed doomed to failure when the wind dropped and the fire was got under control. This morning it was four miles past Mr Taylor’s, but is approaching other homesteads, including Mr Charles Taylor’s, Mr G. Moore’s, and the well-known Homewood property. Homewood is six miles away from the fire, which now has a four-mile front, but residents are taking no chances, and preparations were made this morning with 100 men to burn a fire-break to Stronvar, right out to the coast 10 miles away. The break is one mile in front of the fire, which is moving very slowly in practically no. wind to-day, but if the wind shows signs of getting up it will be backburned toward the fire. The whole of the Wairarapa district is very parched, and water for stock and for fire-fighting is very short. Water for tea for the fire-fighters today had to be carried more than four miles.