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Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14446, 5 November 1917, Page 4

A few days ago. the Commissioner oi Police at Brisbane received full' details' respecting a fatal bush fire which occurred on Warenda Station, near Boulia, on September 29. The story of what was one of Queensland's most awful bush tragedies is contained m the account by two survivors. Michael Rooney and Tommy Reardon, a black boy, told how they, with others, weTe beating back the fire on Warenda Station. They appeared to have had it under control, when the wind changed, and it became a problem of "save himself who can." The men hurriedly left for safety, some on horses and some m buggies. Charlie Corrie, a black boy,, raced his horse at the wall of flames and got through. Tommy Reardon tried to do the same, but his horses apparently plunged heavily, and Reardon jumped off, preferring to make his desperate dash for life on foot. He reached safety, but his clothes/even to his shirt, were burned off his back. A storm broke, as some men m a buggy were racing for safety. The lightning is said to have caused other small outbreaks of fire m front of them, and the horses knocked up. The rolling walls of flame leaped onward,, roaring over the men and the buggy- Search parties went out to offer relief. They found the body of Harry Suringthorp'e, 39 years of age. charred. They found John Williams, a black man, and Roy John H. Dickson, a young man, alive, but both died on the way to the hospital at Boulia. Williams told how he tried to-inmp. from the buggy, and how his leg had been caught between- the spokes, and he had been left helpless with a broken leg. Dickson was found amidst .the. remnants of the buggy, which had been .all burned save the irom. He was trying tb reach a small iron tank that had been m the buggy, m ..order to get water. Fortunately, he was unable to reach it — the water it contained was boiling. The clothes on . Williams and Dickson had been burned off. The report tells how Rooney and Reardon were rescued. A subsequent telegraphic message states tliat Rooney died m the Boulia Hospital. The report adds that the fire was caused by lightning.