STILL SMOULDERING.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20508, 9 January 1935, Page 8

STILL SMOULDERING.

Grass Fires Swept Close to School. (Special to the “ Star.’’) ASHBURTON, This Day. The fire which swept through the Maronan district yesterday and reached the Winslow School, close to the Main South Highway, covered an area of about 4000 acres. A large tract of dry grassland tvas blackened, but the main portion of the fire was located in manuka scrub country. It is estimated that about twenty miles of fencing, in addition to shelter belts of trees and a ten-acre plantation of trees, the property of the Ashburton County Council at Lagmhor, was destroyed. The fire passed within fifteen chains of 800 cords of split firewood belonging to the County Considering the large area covered by the outbreak, the damage, although heavy, was not as extensive as was at first anticipated. A large number oi sheep were removed to safety before the rapidly-spreading flames could reach them, but a number perished. The fire was under control at a late hour last night, but a strict watch is being kept, as fencing material and trees are still smouldering. It is reported that the cause of the fire was a tractor back-firing. A northerly breeze sprang up this morning and the drop in the temperature was gladly welcomed. (A report of last night’s outbreak appears on Page 5.)