HILLCREST FIRE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 61, 3 April 1945, Page 5

HILLCREST FIRE

SPECTACULAR NIGHT SCENE

BRIGADE'S DIFFICULT FIGHT

A fire which might have had serious consequences had there been a wind from any direction blazed al'ong the Hillcrest ridge from late afternoon on Sunday last until well after midnight'. The Brigade which was not summoned until 10.30 p.m. when the flames spread alarmingly ap<J' started to threaten the homestead of Mr Ken Stewart put up a Splendid' fight under the most difficult circumstances, and were eventually able to le'ave the hillside about 3.30 a,m. The fire which owed its outbreak to a small burn-off by one of the residents spread rapidly and was soon out of handi. The spectacular display at night was seen from all parts of the Plains,

In the early afternoon Mr T. Jordan was clearing some of the fern and rubbish from his section when the flames entered the adjoining scrub and spread to the dense bush which covers the old Maori fortifications. As this part of Hillcrest is little other than waste country little fears were entertained at the time and it was hoped the fire would; burn itself out. A close watch was kept however and the flames after traversing the ridge swept down the gully and appeared to threaten those premises which line the cliffside of Commerce Street. The pine plantation at the rear of Messrs. Boon Sullivan and Luke with its ' , J carpet of pine needles was in direct line, but the flames passed it by and carricd on in a steady wall to the rear of Armstrong's Garage. At this juncture Mr K. Stewart called the brigade as the fire was approaching his section and serious fears were entertained. Quickly oa t-he j,ob s the firemen ran a 500 ft. hose in readiness to the stream above the junction. The w T ater however was not utilised for a counterfire started by the. brigade effected a clearing and held the main outbreak to the opposite side of Stewart's gully.

The firemen had an extremely hard time of it confining the flames on the higher reaches. The country is steep and overgrown and to beat out flames, with sacks in these circumstances was not the easiest undertaking. However -with the full brigade on the job the fire was evenbrought under control and daylight saw only an occasional wisp of smoke from isolated patches to tell of the heavy night's work of