SERIOUS BUSH FIRES

Waipa Post, Volume 31, Issue 1731, 11 March 1926, Page 8

SERIOUS BUSH FIRES

HOUSES AND MILLS IN DANGER

(By Telegraph. Press Association.! BLENHEIM, This Day.

A serious bush fire threatened to SAveep arvay two saAvmills, huge lots of saAvn timber, and workers’ cottages. As it Avas, the residence of one of the mill Avorkers Avas destroyed. The mills are \ituated in the Tinline Valley, off Pelorous Sound, and are onAved by Messrs W. Carr and Bryant /Bros.

/Details from Havelock shOAv that the fire started on Tuesday afternoon on the property upon Avhich the mills stand, and, a change in the Avind- to the north-Avest led to the fire getting out of control. Finally, driven by a heavy Avind, the flames bore doAvn on the mills at the road-side. The bush is burning fiercely. The staffs of th tAvo mills were turned out as firefighters to battle with the flames and protect the buildings. A Avhare belonging to Mr Gardiner Avas caught by the fire. As darkness*fell the battle was still in full swing, and the fire appeared to have gained, a still stronger hold. The workers Avere almost dropping A\dth exhaustion, and many of them Avere overcome by the smoke. Fearing that the mills would be destroyed as, Avell as the dAvellings of about a hundred people in the settlement, an urgent call for reinforcements Avas sent to (he surrounding districts. With the burning of Mi /Coleman’s house the hope of saving one of the mills itself Avas practically abandoned, but the Avind lulled,, and/ the Aveary men reneAved their efforts, and the progress of the flames Avas 'stayed at 7 o’clock yesterday morning.