OHOPE FIRE RISK

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 20, 4 September 1946, Page 5

OHOPE FIRE RISK

APPOINTMENT OF WARDENS SUGGESTED FIRE DISTRICT When a letter from the Ohope Progress League, urging the appointment of a new list of fire wardens came before the County Council meeting last week, Cr Cawte suggested that the whole question could be safeguarded by taking the necessary steps to form the settlement into a fire district.

The League requested the Council to take official steps to appoint the following residents: Messrs. W. Clark, F. Sutton, T. P. Dowling, R. Herdman, R.. Cobbe, W. Hurst, A. Hogg, C. H. Brebner, A. O. Sorenson, L. Brosnahan, E. R. Marryatt, G. Mahy, T. McCowan, J. Dixon. Cr Cawte drew the attention of the Council to the beautiful bushlands backing on to Ohope, and he considered it would be a crying shame if ever'a fire were permitted to enter, the reserve. It was encumbent on the Council to institute every measure it could to protect the bush. He referred to the recently constituted fire' districts in the Galatea, Rotorua and Taupo areas, where it was necessary, before even a small fire could be started, to obtain special permission from the fire wardens, who would then inspect and actually supervise the lighting and burning of the fire concerned. Only in this way could Ohope be given real protection. The chairman (Mr J. L. Burnett) warmly agreed, mentioning that Ohope had already experienced several narrow escapes. He favoured any suggestion which would give wider powers for fire protective pui’poses.

The whole matter was referred to the engineer to get all the information possible for report and action next meeting.