FIGHT WITH SCRUB FIRE

Chronicle (Levin), 23 January 1948, Page 5

FIGHT WITH SCRUB FIRE

.Press Association)

One House Badly Damaged ; OthersSaved

(Per

CHRISTCHURCH, Jan. 22. One house wzi's badly dantaged, another tras slightly- damaged and many others were threatened . by fire whielr swept up St. Andrew's Hill this after(noon and burnt out. about 100 acres. The fire spread in mijror outbreaks to more than a dozen residential properties overloaking the estuary. i The flames at first ieapt up the hill ■ for about a mile uiitil they were checlc1 ed on the boundaries of houses on Major Hornbrook Road. A strong norihwes't- wind then changed to soutlt west and the fire moved to a thickly pop.ulated area near the Heathcote River bridge. The home of Air. and M rs. S. C. U'ing, -of 11 Ferrymead Ter race, was badly damaged by the flames and water. A lire started in the roof of a two-storied house occupied by Mr. 8. Bayers, 75 Te Awa Kura Terrace, but this was -checked before mitch damage was done. The original outbreak oecurred on the Bridle Path Road a few hundred vards from tlie Heathcote bridge.; Smoke was uoticed at 1.45 p.m. by^Afessrs F. Bierworth and G. Weir, of the city council staff, who were working at the Cob Hut uieniortal to pioaeers near tlie Alt. Fleasant boat sheds; They gave the alana and .nilmerous fire fighting units and workmen o.f the city council were sun) moned. . The flames fanned out over tlie hillside where the gorse, broom aud grass were tinder dry. About 3 p.m. a number of netv hoines in.AIajor iiornbrook Road. were threatened. Tliese mcluded a brick house occupied by Air. R. Alorton (Xo. 62),. a block of flats and the brick house of Air, C.olin Mai--ivenzie (Xo. 58). The flames were checked right on their back boundary but between the propertios of Air. Alacicenzie and Alrs. Wright, they slipped Jirough a vaeant section to Alajor iiornbrook Road. Higher up beaters stopped the fire within 100 yards of tlie resulential area near the Alt. Pleasant scjiool. Among the hoines threatened were those of ALessrs J. Arorrison, J. Homersham, L. C. Fitch and Alrs. E. riughes. The thick gorse and broom • below tliese houses Was burning Jiercely and burning back was the only. effectiv'e cheek. High up on Atajor HornbrooTc Road, firemen had difliculty with their hoses. Very long leads had to be used'with in structions ■ shouted by relays t'o the hydrant operators. • The water pressure was under constant boost. The fire fighters on the upper road believed the fire had been checked wkeu a great pall of smoke was seen near the Heathcote . bridge. Fire engines and trucks with council workers and many volunteers, drdve quickly to the bottom of the hill and fotmd that a change in the wind had driven the fire to tlie north. It was kept off the old ; Cannon estate hotnestnad "Tironui, aua," now occupied- by Air, J. W. R. Eyiield, bv scores of beaters but entered the lower part of a nearby plantation and quickly. spread to the resi-

dential area. over looking the estuary. Air. and Alrs. AVing's home was on the boundary and volunteers tried ti. save it until hoses arrived. The fire men had to run leads up the winding private paths on the hillside and across gardens to reaclt the five-roomed dwell mg. The upper part was badly burned but inost of the interior damage was ea used by water which lay severn! inches decp in most toorns. Mr. lv. Whitmore, next door in Ferrymead Terrace, saved his home by spravuig it with a garden hose and a nearbi house under construction was similarl\ defended. Aieanwhile the flames had run north. along the boundary of Bridle Path Road below and entered many gardem overlooking the bndge. The whole hillside was enveloped ii smoke and it appeared that man} homes ^ tvould eatc'h alight at once Aiany families .eVacuated and carrieo* bundles of possesstons out on' to titi road. The propertics of Alessrs B Iioberts and D. V. Apperley in Ferry mead Terrace,,. Alessrs J. H. B.,Roben son, in Alinlo Terrace, ahd.Messrs W. A AMnson an d .8 i feav ers ih-' Te : A w a Itura - 4V mOnaced. .by-Jfires ' -in - tlu gardens. The 'iroof of Air. 'Sayers house caught fire but it was the" firsi reached by tlie hoses and little damagv was done except by water in upstain rooms. On 8t. Andrew's Hill road, techni ciaus in the telephone sub-exchangt scattered bucketS Of water to quell tlu flames round the building. Sparks leaping the road set iire to the thatched roof of the memorial Oob Hut. The roof was burnt out but the building was otherwise undantaged. When the fires in this area weri under control about 4.30 p.m. the bri gades uithdrew but city council work

men went about Ti mile' down Bridh ; Path Road toward Heathcote and burn ■ back to check the grass fire on tlu. boundary. It yyhs checked on the edgf ' of Air. R. G. Robertson's orchard. Mr. G.. E. Alunnings, w'ho leases about 90 acres, said almost the whole of his area was burned off but about 90 sheep were not harmed. Tliey would find sufficient food until the netv growth came away. A number of flr,c fighters were taken away suffering from the effects of smoke.