WARNING OF FOREST FIRE DANGER

Chronicle (Levin), 5 January 1948, Page 4

WARNING OF FOREST FIRE DANGER

WELLINGTON, Jan. 5. The State Fores't Sefvice warns agaihst carelessness in fespect of fires in the taupo area, National Park, parts of the East Coast of the North Island, Wellington, Marlborough, Ndfth CanterDury and Central Otago owing to the extremely dry conditions. North Cahtefbury has reached'the maximum fire dariger mafk, no faiii having failen for 60 days. A State Forestry official stated today that conditions in the Natiohal Park area 'vvefe now very siihilar to those of .1937, when a tiisastrouS fire deStroyfed many acr es of forest. At 9 d'clock on Saturday morning the reiative humidity there was 40 and by 10.30 it was down to 20, which is. very rar e in the centre of the North Island. ' , : * An indication of the extremely dry -and hot conditions existing in Wellington was given by the popping of pine cones as their scales opened to throw out their seeds. This popping came only in response to the low humidity and continued till nine o'cloCk last night. The hills around Wellington are tinder dfy. A party which visited a ship hovefing in Marlborough Sounds left a fire burning, although the area is a reserve in which the lighting of fires is prohibited. Fortunately, a second party arrived on the

scene ahd extinguished the embers. The value of the State Forest Service air patrols in helping prevent fires was illustrated by a Forestry official today. Recently, he said, a patrol from Rotorua had observed pig hunters camped at the southern end of the Kaingara area, which is very dry. The pig hunters not being welcome, as it is their custom to singe the pigs thei momeiit they are caught, which is' regarded as very dangerous as it may set the- forest ablaze, the plane radioed its ground crews, who chased the hunters from the area.