BUSH FIRES RAGE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 741, 20 April 1933, Page 5

BUSH FIRES RAGE.

Large Area Swept Near Kaikoura. RAIN SAVES HOMESTEAD. Much damage was done by bush and gjass fires in the Kaikoura district yesterday morning. There were three outbreaks, and only a fortunate change in ( the wind and a shower of rain saved a settler’s homestead from the fire. At 8 ajn. the first fire broke out in the bush near the old unemployment camp at Puhipuhi, and, blown by a strong northerly wind, swept up the hil; towards the homestead of Mr J. J. Mackle, Kaiwhare Block, just on the north side of the Hapuku bridge. Within an hour the whole countryside was ablaze, and 460 acres out of the block of 500 had been reduced to a ! blackened and charred expanse. About sixty settlers gathered to fight the fire, and, after strenuous efforts, felled a fire-break in the scrub along the Kaiwhare Stream, thus delaying the spread of the fire to a stand of virgin bush in the gully and the homestead. The flames then spread along to Maungamaunu. destroying acres of pasture on the property of Mr P. J. Boyd, and finally travelling as far as the Blue Duck Valley. At 10.45 a m. the wind suddenly went round to the south and a heavy showe*’ of rain fell, lasting for about an hour. The fall enabled the fire fighters to get the flames under control everywhere, but if it had not come when it did nothing could have saved Mr Mackle’s homestead. His family had already left the house, and all the furniture had been removed to a place of safety. The second fire broke out on Mr Pat Smith's farm on the east bank of the Waimangararo Stream. This burned a | good deal of bush, fern and dry grass before it was extinguished by the rain.

The third outbreak occurred in the Charwell Valley, on the KaikouraWaiau road, a good deal of grassland and flax country being destroyed. West Melton Outbreak. Yesterday morning, at five o’clock, Mr R. Findlay, West Melton, was awakened by the barking of his dogs. He looked out, and saw that the ' countryside round his house was in ■ flames. The alarm given by the dogs ■ possibly was the means of saving the i house from being burnt down. It was j I not an ordinary fire, for a heavy nor’- ! west gale was blowing, and the flames travelled along the grass with in- j j credible rapidity. An eye-witness likenj ed the speed to that of a racehorse, i Other people in the district were soon j out of their beds to fight the fire, but j they could not do very much. The ! flames swept over pasture lands, burni ing the gorse hedges as they went. Luckily, there was no stock in danger, j The farms which suffered were own- { ed by Messrs W. G. Hille. R Findlay, ' H. Harvey, H. Pearce, R. Hampton ! and T. W. Flight. The total area was about 200 acres. An unoccupied house ! on Mr Harvey’s property had a narrow i escape. The flames crept round the ; house, and the tank stand was partly I burnt, but the building was not j damaged. In one paddock two stacks were side iby side. One was stravv, the other j j sheaves. The straw- stack w’as ignited, . j but the sheaves, a few yards away, ! ! were saved. Some twelve-year pines on ' j Mr Ilille’s property were badly scorchI ed, but otherwise there seems to be ■ j little damage. The flames were under j ! control by nine o’clock.