Forest Service Reports Lower Fire Risk: Public More Fire Conscious

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 12, Issue 12, 13 January 1948, Page 5

Forest Service Reports Lower Fire Risk: Public More Fire Conscious

Only constant vigilance and the co-operation of the public had prevented a serious outbreak of fire during the present hot weather, said an officer of the State- Forest Service recently. The position was still very serious, though cloudy weather had brought some relief to parts of the North Island. Factors taken into account in assessing fire danger were humidity, moisture content of wood, temperature, wind velocity and direction, and the number of days since rain had fallen. These details were sent to headquarters of the service in Wellington each day by radio from 10 stations in the Rotorua-Bay of Plenty area and three in the Auckland district. This chain of radio posts would ultimately be extended throughout the country. In the meantime, other stations Telegraphed these details if humidity fell below 45 per cent. When, as in the National'. Park area recently, humidity dropped as low as 20 per cent and stayed at a low level the fire danger was very great. There had been fewer examples of carelessness this year and the public appeared to be more “fire conscious” than in the past.