FOREST FIRES

Evening Star, Issue 19787, 10 February 1928, Page 6

FOREST FIRES

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA RAVAGED

Press Association—By Telegraph—Copyright.

NEW YORK, February 9. (Received February 10, at 10.30 a.m.) Los Angeles advises that Southern California is threatened with serious damage as the result of wind and forest fires. Two fires, located in the Virdngo Hills, started when the wind blew down high power electric wires. Houses and barns were blown down in the vicinity of Pasadena. Lack of communication with the Mount Lowo Observatory prevents the verification of the report, the roof of the observatory being blown off. TE AROKA SWEPT HAMILTON TOWN IN DANGER [Peb United Press Association.] HAMILTON, February 10. A disastrous fire swept a large area on the slopes of the Te Aroha Mountain last evening, and for hours anxiety was felt for the safety of the outskirts of the town; 100 acres of scrub and picturesque bush have been destroyed, and even at 10 p.m., when the risk to the town seemed over, there was a wall of flame over a mile long making its way up the gully near the Bald Spur water reservoir on the bill, which was endangered; and the fears of the residents were aggravated by the failure of the electric light. The danger so far as the town was concerned vanished when the wind dropped. The fire originated in Ruakaka suburb, where blackberry was being burned off.