Two-Day Battle With Scrub Fire Near Levin

Chronicle (Levin), 30 March 1948, Page 4

Two-Day Battle With Scrub Fire Near Levin

Nearly 400 ac^es df grass and - lupm Were destfoyed in a large scrub fire which blazea for twJ days dhfing the weekend. It- start-^ ed on Saturday near Ihe mouth oi " the ManaWatu River in an 1800-1 acre paddoek on the property of Mr . S. L. . Jackson,, Levin. Help was secured from neighbouring farms, friends in Levin and a large party of meh from the Public WorkS Departmsnt camp. The fire-r ij figliters had a worrying tirneendeavourins to ' bring the confla-

gration • under control before it . directly meriaced the Government pine plantations along the coast. W'hen the fire feached its peak at about 8 p.m. on Saturday night, ' the-reflected glare from the flameS s was seen from Palmerston North and south of Otaki, - Shortly after this heavy rain began to fall in the district, helping the fire-fighters and considerably reducing the size of the outbreak. The fire was brought under control about 4.45 a.m. on Sunday, and the position- Was- tjisn regnrd* ed as satisfactory, although a close watch was still heing kept for any - signs of a further outbfeak. At noon on Sunday the fire broke out again. Fretiously, it had burnt towards the coast with the ■wirid coming from an easterl-y quarter. When the wind changed, it blew back over the burnt area and fanned the embers ihto fiame. ; SoOn another huge" area was ablaze and once more help had to be , summoned hurriedly. The fire was finally extinguis-hed late on Sunday afternoon. ■ It is not known "how the fire started, but it is thought thdt a carelessly lit camp . fire may have been the cause.