DISASTROUS BUSH FIRES.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9026, 13 January 1908, Page 5

DISASTROUS BUSH FIRES.

PIRES AROUND MASTERTON. SAWMILL DESTROYED. For some days past bush and grass fires have been raging in the Mount Bruce and Miki Miki districts, and have done considerable damage. Messrs Coradine and Whittaker's sawmill, and the bush adjoining it, were destroyed on Friday afternoon, despite the efforts of the workmen, who strove strenuously for nearly two days to keep back the flames from the premises. Not only was the mill destroyed, but five whares containing a good deal of personal property of the employees at the mill, were reduced to ashes. On Thursday afternoon it was seen that the flames, which were raging in the bush, placed the mill in peril, and consequently the men moved their families and as much of their belongings as they could, away to a neighbour's house. Some of the furniture could not be moved to any distance and was buried in an adjacent gravel pit. Then the men set to work to keep back the fire from their employers' property, and aided by a fairly good supply of water from a neighbouring stream they Were successful for a time. On Friday, however, the wind sprang up and drove sparks and pieces of burnt timher into the mill with the result that the latter took fire, and the task of saving it was hopeless. The scene is now one of desolation. Where once a busy mill stood, and the buzz of machinery was in the air, there remains but a heap of smouldering ashes, some burnt piles and wrecked machinery. Mr J. M. Coradine visited the locality on Saturday, and estimates the loss to his firm at anything from £1,500 to £2,000. The loss is accentuated when it is considered that a good deal of time was lost at the mill during the winter owing to the bad weather, and it was fully anticipated that this loss would be recouped during the summer. Again the firm have spent a good deal of money in making suitable roads to give access to the mill. There was no insurance on any of the buildings. It is not considered likely that another mill will be erected, as the fire is still burning in the bush, and will probably destroy it all. . The destruction uf the mill means, ' in addition to the heavy losses entailed by the proprietors, that practically all the employees engaged will be thrown out of work for the time being at least. .

! GREAT DAMAGE IN FORTYMILE BUSH DISTRICT. HEAVY LOSS OF STOCK. MILES OF FENCES, GRASS AND CROPS DESTROYED. During the past few days large grasps and bush fires have been raging in the Manga-nahoe and Hastwell districts, and considerable damage has been done. The settlers are busy mustering all their sheep and removing them to a place of safety. In some instances the fire has spread with such rapidity that settlers have only been able to roughly muster their stock while in one or two farmi, it is reported, farmers have been compelled to Jet their shesp ai>' cattle take their chance. It is impossible at present to estimate the losses occasioned by the fires, but it is expected to amount to thousands of pounds. , Mr Nils Petersen lost a number of sheep and cattle on his property on the Hastwell road. Thesre is burning furiously there, and on Thursday night Mr Petersen and his family had an anxious time protecting the buildings .on the property from the flames. A number of fences on the property, besides nearly all the grass, have been destroyed, and Mr Petersen is a heavy loser. On Mr McGregor's farm all the grass and practically every fence has been destroyed. On Thursday night the creamery at Hastwell, recently tenanted by the New Zealand Farmers' Dairy Union, was burnt down. Three whares in the vicinity were also destroyed, as weP. as several miles 'of fences and hundreds of acres of grass. Mr 0. Isaacson, of Hastwell, is also a heavy loser by the fire. About one hundred of his sheep perished and his fences, grass and rape crops have been destroyed. Damage to the extent of over £2OO has been done on Mr F. A. Sheath's farm. He lost a large number of sheep. Mr Sheath experienced considerable difficulty on Thursday night in saving his residence from ■ the flames. The grass and bush on a number of farms throughout the district are on fire, and heavy losses of sheep, crops, grass and fences are reported. The fires are still raging, and unless rain fornes, which at present does not appear likely, there will probably be a repetition of the fires experienced in the Forty Mile Bush district about eleven or twelve years ago. Logs and dry standing timber on a number of farms in the vicinity of Mount Bowen road are on fire, and the settlers there an busy fighting the flames. As a result of the fires the atmosphere in the E'orty Mile Bush district is heavy with smoke, while the heat is almost unbearable. At Mr A. H. Wrightson's property at Mangamahoe considerable damage was done to the fences and a large area of grass was burnt. A staff of men after some difficulty removed the stock to a place of safety.

IN THE LOWER VALLEY. GRASS AND FENCING DESTROYED. WOOI.SHED BURNT DOWN,

Grass and log fires have been raging-in the Lower Valley during: the past few clays, and a considerable area of grass has been destroyed. On several farms a number of fences have been burned. At Maungatarera Valluy a woolshed, owned by Mr F. Wadham, was burnt down. A quantity of lamb's wool was in the vroolshed at the time, and was destroyed. In this district a large area of *>rass, several

miles of fencing and a quantity of timber suitable for fencing purposes, etc.; -have been destroyed. Ashes from ■ the burning fires falling in the streams have caused the deaths of a large number of trout. Large grass fires swept along the ranges on Friday in the vicinity of Mount Holdsworth, doing considerable damage. Long stretches of fencing were burnt, and several sheds and outbuildings demolished. The country is exceedingly dry and parched and badly in need of rain.