PEAT FIRE CAUSES ANXIETY

Southland Times, Issue 24376, 5 March 1941, Page 6

PEAT FIRE CAUSES ANXIETY

10 ACRES BURNED IN FORTNIGHT

A peat fire, which is burning on an area of land near where the road to Otatara and Oreti Beach bends at the end of the straight stretch from the bridge over the estuary, is causing some anxiety. The fire has been burning for a fortnight now and in that time has bui'ned out about 10 acres of peat. The fire is now reaching a position where bush may be threatened. Mr G. R. Milward, engineer to the Southland County Council, has been watching the fire closely and has taken steps to prevent its spreading under the roadway, for, if that happened, the road would collapse. Mr Mil ward said yesterday that peat fires were very difficult to fight. The best way was to flood the land and there was not nearly enough water for that near this fire. A week’s tain might be required to extinguish the fire properly. Another method of dealing with a peat fire was to dig a deep and wide ditch round the affected area, but that was a costly method, involving the use of machinery. Mr Milward added that he did not think the responsibility of dealing with the fire rested with the county council because the fire was on private property.