NARROW ESCAPE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 86, 8 October 1938, Page 10

NARROW ESCAPE

THE ROTORUA FORESTS

FIRES SWEEP SCRUB

COUNTRY

$OND CHANGE AT LAST

MOMENT

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

ROTORUA, This Day,

Only prompt measures by gangs totalling approximately 150 employees, assisted by a fortunate change of wind at a critical moment, averted a disaster of major proportions when the State Forestry plantations, covering over 400,000 acres, were threatened with destruction by fires which broke out at three different points between Rotorua and Waiotapu about midday yes-* terday. The first outbreak was seen sweeping across the scrub-covered country towards the Taupo highway five miles from Rotorua., For several hours gangs hurriedly sent to the scene toiled to keep the flames from jumping the road into the forest area and shortly before nightfall the danger had passed, but not before three miles of hillside opposite the plantations ha 1 been left a blackened mass. While the men were fighting this outbreak emergency calls were sent out by lookouts who reported another fire south of the Waiotapu Hotel, about a mile from the nearest forestry plantation. Fire fighters were rushed to the scene but before it spread through the dry manuka scrub the fire was arrested. Strenuous efforts were necessary to save the hotel from destruction. This danger had barely been averted ■when another outbreak of more serious proportions was discovered further south. In a few minutes scrubcovered country over a wide area was a roaring inferno, with a wall of flame sweeping rapidly towards the forestry plantation. Every available man now concentrated upon stopping the spread of the fire to the plantations by burning back from firebreaks. With the flames advancing with remarkable rapidity success seemed almost impossible. Sweeping across the country the fire completely destroyed the Post Office and tearoom at the Waiotapu reserve. Captain W. H. Walker, lessee of the reserve, had barely time to recover the-money from the Post Office>before it was left a charred mass as "the fire passed onwards. A considerable quantity of departmental records and equip- j ment were destroyed. When it appeared that nothing could gave the plantations,, with a wall of flame only a few yards away, an unexpected change in the wind, which also considerably lessened in strength, proved a God-send. It averted a] calamity the consequences of which might have included the loss of sev- j eral lives besides the thousands of pounds of damage that would have been done to the plantations.

terday,