A TRAIN OF FIRE

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3025, 12 March 1917, Page 4

A TRAIN OF FIRE

There was a good deal of excitement in the Upper Hutt Valley on Sunday afternoon immediately after tho passing of a train bound for Upper Hutt. Following upon the -week's dry weather, the grass bordering the line on both sides is as dry as tinder. As the train proceeded from a point below Silverstream to Trentham it left behind it a trail of emoke and flames. There seemed to be little doubt that on this occasion sparks from the engine, which was drawing a heavy load, were responsible for the conflagration. The wind carried tho sparks into the grass on the westward sicfe of the line, where there are numbers of cottages on sections lyinc between the main road 'and the railway. These were threatened by the trass fires, and every available man, as well as a number of women, turned out to fight the flames. At one or two places the situation was critical at times, and in several instances the flames raced diagonally -across open paddocks and were only checked when they Teached the road. In one place a fence was burned. The biggest blaze was at Herotaunga station, where the dry gorse flared up like tinder and the flames had- a clear run across open paddocks. At Trentham, too, a heavy column of smoke rose after the train passed.- Aji eye-witness stated that it was a remarkable sight to see the flames and smoke suddenly break out and move in a lengthening line right up tho valley, as thefta'in proceeded.