DISASTROUS BUSH FIRES

Taranaki Daily News, 13 December 1926, Page 9

DISASTROUS BUSH FIRES

HEAVY DAMAGE CAUSED HEROISM OF THE FIGHTERS SOME THRILLING RESCUES By Telegraph—Press A ess.—Copyright. Received Dec. 12, 5.5 p.m. Sydney, Dee. 12. Disastrous bush fires are still raging in all parts of the State. Many settlers have been burned out and vast areas of grass, standing crops, bagged wheat, machinery and fencing have been destroyed. Some districts report severe losses of stock. Glowing stories are told of the fire fighters, including women, and their endurance and heroism in attempts to stay the spread of the flames and rescue threatened families. Numerous sensational narrow escapes are reported. O.wing to the protracted spell of hot, dry weather the fire is the worst for years. Sydney; Dec. 11. The fires in the west and southern districts continue to rage fiercely, and in many cases are out of control, but men and women are fighting valiantly under extremely trying conditions. Many narrow escapes from loss of life are reported. One man, at Bethungra, was trapped and his clothes burnt off him. He is in a critical condition. The children attending the Daroobalgi School were endangered, but the women folk held the flames in check until assistance arrived from Forbes. (Fires raging around Aleetown threatened to destroy the town. The fires in the southern districts covered extensive areas, but, owing to the dislocation of communications, their fuH extent is not known. Settlers’ wives in the vicinity of Gundagai left their homes with their children and a few valuables. Several dwellings were burnt. The Ares round Goulburn are described as the worst in the history of the district. Many homesteads have been burnt and much stock destroyed. The township of Manila n is surrounded by flames, whose heat is so great that fighters are unable to approach within one hundred yarde of them. Food suppliers and fire fighters are being rushed from Goulburn. At Tarlo and Roslyn the position is also serious. As much as Ite an hour is being offered in some parts for fire fighters. The town of Coolamon was saved after a desperate struggle. During yesterday the fire brigade attended 99 fires in the suburbs of Sydney, a record. The maximum, 103.9, was the highest temperature recorded this season. A southerly during the night brought slight relief, but it is still very muggy and a continuance of the hot weather is predicted. FLAMES STILL SPREADING. SOME FATALITIES FEARED. Received Dec. 13, 1 a.m. Sydney, Dec. 12. The fire at Wagga destroyed a number of leading buildings, the damage being £20,000. News from the districts in the grip of the fires is much delayed owing to the damage and destruction of telegraph lines The latest reports show that the fire is raging and spreading with unabated fury, sweeping across wide areas particularly in the west and south an - ! causing immense damage and suffering. Hundreds of families have been burned out. A number of fire fighters in various centres are reported to be missing and it is feared they have perished. Women and children are being hurrie.l into the townships for safety. The hospitals are kept busy treating the scorched fire fighters and others who ran the gauntlet when trapped by the flames. Among the disastrous stock losses reported a number of valuable stud catt’e and thirty horses on one station were so badly burned that they had to be shot. In the dairying districts many cows were so scorched that they cannot be milked.