THE MOUNTAIN FIRE

Evening Star, Issue 19788, 11 February 1928, Page 21

THE MOUNTAIN FIRE

HARD FIGHT TD SAVE PROPERTY [Per United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, February 10. Fir® swept a large area on Te Aroha Mountain last night, and for some hours anxiety was felt for the safety of buildings on the outskirts of the town. Hundreds M acres of picturesque bush and scrub were destroyed, and even at 10 o’clock, when the risk to the town seemed to be over, there was a wall or flame over a mile long making its way up the gully near Bald Spur. The water reservoir on the hill was endangered, and the fears of the residents were aggravated by the failure of electric light. The fire originated in the Rnakaka suburb, where blackberry, was being burned off. At 4.45 p.m., when the alarm was given, the flames had reached 30ft in height, and had jumped a creek in two wide tracks. Ashes began to fall over the town as the sheets of flame rushed through tho dry bush, but the wind carried the sparks away from the residential area. Trainer’s saw-mill was in the centre of the outbreak, and the fire-lighters decided to salvage tho equipment. Tho bush_ surrounding the mill was demolished rapidly before a wall of fire with a frontage of nearly a mile and a-half. The mill was saved, but (lie fire laid waste practically all the bush on which the plant is dependent. The mill engine. and wagon were dragged to safely down tlr mill track, as it was feared that the clearing might not prove a sufficient fire break. It seemed as if the workers might be cut off from escape by a sudden change of wind, but a lull at the critical moment averted this danger. As the flames spread through the thick bush several houses were menaced, but were saved by a change in the direction of the wind. At 10.30 p.m. tho fire-fight-ers concluded that the outskirts of the town were safe, and ceased work for the night.