FLAGSTAFF ABLAZE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27165, 22 August 1949, Page 4

FLAGSTAFF ABLAZE

LARGE AREA BURNED PLANTATION THREATENED TWENTY-HOUR SPECTACLE Raging unabated for nearly 20 hours, a spectacular fire, which broke out on the slopes of Flagstaff early on Saturday afternoon, burned out about 300 acres of scrub, gorsc and tussock land and also dangerously threatened the city plantation on the top road to YVhare Flat before it was put out by rain about 10.30 a.m. yesterday. Fanned by strong northerly winds, the fire rapidly spread over the highly inflammable countryside, in the direction of the plantation, creating huge columns of smoke, and during the night illuminating a large expanse of the sky. Although the plantation was hot touched, the danger was always there, and a gang of men was kept hard at work for several hours yesterday morning back-burning. The fire started near Cameron’s road. While gorse was being backburned, the wind suddenly turned, sweeping the flames into the scrub and gorse behind. During the night the fire travelled about a mile towards the 'south and looked like threatening the plantation. In order to prevent any such disaster a gang of men was organised between 5 a.m. and 6 a.m. to stop the spread of the flames. Fortunately their task was made much easier, when the wind turned around again from the north-east to the south, thus driving the flames back from rhe plantation. Even at 5 a.m. the sky was well lit up by the flames and the top of Flagstaff was clearly visible. Later in the morning, however, heavy rain set m and the fire was soon extinguished. Spring—from now on until the end of November—was the dangerous season for fires, and not summer, as many were prone to think, declared Mr M. R. Skipworth, superintendent of reserves, in issuing a warning about the fire danger. The whole of the countryside around Dunedin was highly inflammable at present, he said. There need only be a day of wind and a spark, and anything would burn. Many did not realise, he added, that, owing to the frost in winter, vegetation was killed off and when it dried in the spring it burnt very easily.