KEEPING PACE WITH FOREST FIRE FIGHTING

Chronicle (Levin), 11 March 1947, Page 2

KEEPING PACE WITH FOREST FIRE FIGHTING

-Press Association

By Telcgrapn—

WLLLIJNUTUiN, Mar. 10. Asked today whether recent experinients in the use of ehemical bombs which had been carried out in Australia, would lead to the adoption of similar fire lighting tactics in New Zealand, the Commissioner of Btate r'orests, Hon. C. F. Bkinner, sajd that the possibility of making etfectivp use of this weapon in New Zealand was under review. "Any new fire fighting niethods developed overseas are imniediately reviewed by the Forest Bervice for possible adaption to New Zealand conditions, " said Mr. Bkinner. . "Cheinieal bombs inay find a use here but in t.heir present stage of development they would be useful only in attempts to check forest flies in their ineipient. I stages. They would have little etfec.t against fires burning in the ground and their usefulness would be determined, by the area covered by the bomb burst and degree of accuracv with which il was dropped. " Experiments carried out in Australia, continued Mr. Skinner, had shown that chemical bombs could T>e* clropped from 300 ffeet with- an accuracv of 50 feet, the bomb bursts covering an area 40 vards by 10 vafds, but it yet had to be demonst'rated that this means of fighting a forest fire could' be developed into an elfective weapon. Reeentlv two members of the Forest Service, Rang ers l. H. Badlev and A. N. Sexton, attending the Victoria Forestry Commission's annual school, had seen the latest Australian niethods .of combat:ng a forest fire but retarnod home with the conviction that New Zealand ecjuip ment and methods were equ'ally lefiicient, concludod Mr. Skinner, ' i i a