BUSH FIRE TRAGEDY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18066, 18 April 1933, Page 9

BUSH FIRE TRAGEDY

FAMILIES’ FIGHT SAT IN WATERIIOLE MELBOURNE, April 12, Four adults and seven children fleeing from the bush fire which burned a young Gippsland farmer, George Fair brother, to death early yesterday morning, put up a terrifying fight against the flames before a change of wind saved them from their neighbor's fate. Smouldering fires in the bracken along) the Gynyah-Boolara road were fanned by a north wind into new life about 11 p.m. on Monday, and at 1 a.m. \ esterday the flames became so threatening to the four houses along the road that George Irwin decided to warn his neighbors. He awakened Fairbrother, who immediately removed his bed and clothing into the roadway. Going on to< the home of George Smith, the latter got out his motor truck and took on board his wife ami their three children, and Mr. and ill's. Irwin and their four children. They could not locate Fairbrother. The party had only gone SO yards when the flying .charcoal and blazing bark set fire to the truck. The party jumped from the truck and made for a.waterhole, but bad only gone 20 yards when they heard the petrol tank of the truck explode. They remained immersed in the waterhole, with blazing bark flouting overhead and falling] alongside them until a change of wind made their position apparently safe. They crawled.out to continue their journey along the road to a neighbor’s home outside the danger zone, but tho wind veered again, and once move They found themselves in the centre of flying sparks, so they returned io the waterhole, where, they sat in the water for two hours until the menace was past. Rain and tho abating of the wind stopped the spread of the fire, and they were able to crawl out of the water and make for the nearest house. At daylight tile men went back along tho road and found.F'airbrother’s body about 300yds from his but. He had taken the opposite direction to tho Smiths and Irwins, and had been smothered in the dense smoke. Had he taken the other direction, he might luivo been saved.