THE BUSH FIRES IN WELLINGTON.

Globe, Volume V, Issue 552, 25 March 1876, Page 4

THE BUSH FIRES IN WELLINGTON.

(New Zealand Ti7nes, March 23), The country districts have again been visited by destructive bush fires, spreading over a vast area of land, and variously affecting the different localities. At present it would be premature to draw comparisons between this and former experiences of a like character, because the actual extent of the fire cannot be pronounced, the bush being still alight in many places. Howbeit, the residents in Makara, Porirua, Ohariu, and Johnsonville, Horokiwi and Tawa flat, will remember this conflagration as one not frequently seen in a lifetime. Many more such would leave no timber to burn, No very definite information can be obtained as to where the fires (for there were several distinct ones) originated ; but it is well known that bush fires are easily started, especially after a continuance of dry weather, and when the wind is high, MAKABA AND KAKORI. At Makara and Karori the people were greatly disturbed on Tuesday night, and a good deal of property was destroyed, such as fences, which the fire, fed in many instances by the gorse hedges which abound in those localities, soon made charcoal of. It will cost much to repair the damage done. OHABIU. It was in this direction that the fire was most severely felt, the injury to property being very considerable. The bush in the neighborhood had been burning in several directions for days before the general outburst, so to speak, took place. In fact, Mr Wiley discovered that the wood was fired on Mr France’s property quite a month since, and on making his discovery known Mr France at once offered to give him £2O should he discover the person or persons who had been guilty of the act. Of course they were not discovered, not finding it necessary to remain on the scene of their operations until they should be caught. So the fire continued to burn, not fiercely be it understood, but in such a way that a strong breeze would excite it to fury. That breeze came gradually. On Monday we received a preliminary notice of its approach, and on Tuesday morning we experienced a strong N.W. wind, which very soon caused the fire to spread, and carrying the sparks and burning leaves and twigs to great distances, the fire was communicated to other parts of the bush throughout that part of the country ; and the consequence was that for miles round the people were surrounded by fire. It was a grand sight. Showers of sparks filled the air, and as they rose were carried away by the wind (which winds round the gullies) in various directions. There was no scarcity of timber to feed the flames, and comp iratively speaking large pieces of burning wood were carried through the air like fire bolts. Occasionally a tall tree, stripped of its branches, burnt through to the heart, and looking like a monument of fire, would be seen to fall. A gentleman mentions an incident of this kind as being one of the grandest spectacles it would be possible to conceive.

The fencing was completely destroyed along what is known as the new Ohariu road. In many directions tremendous logs of wood fell across the rails and crushed them, and the fire was so fierce as to burn the rails to ashes.

The land belonging to Mrs Beeves (a widow) was covered with white ash yesterday morning ; and as our reporter passed along the road, the stumps of trees were still burning to the roots. Indeed, these stumps were burnt into the strangest shapes. With some, the heart having been rotten, the fire was confined to the centre, and one old tree of this sort was “ licked ” (by the fire) into the form of an old-fashioned arm chair.

Mr France’s property sustained considerable damage, as the fire did not burn the trees to the ground, and he will now have to expend extra hand labor in clearing. The fire also extended to Bryant’s farm, and for a time caused great apprehension, Yesterday morning one sheep was discovered to be roasted, another was found to be very much burnt but living. No further cases had been ascertained when our reporter visited the district, but it was much feared that the sheep in various directions must have suffered. Generally, however, the live stock escaped in the strangest manner. Sheep and cattle were walking about the paddocks yesterday, surrounded by burning timber, and did not appear to be at all alarmed by that circumstance.

Mr Wiley’s house at Ohariu was surrounded by fire at one time, and he lost a stack of hay and a cord of firewood. There is a ridiculous side to everything, A Mr Martin, a recent arrival, has a house adjoining that of Mr Wiley and his son. He had not been accustomed to such scenes, and he was sore afraid. He cried out that he was destroyed, and railed at his neighbours in consequence of their having something of Jacob Faithful’s temperament; being inclined, in fact, to take the flames coolly, and make such common-sense provision for their own safety as they could. Having done this, they could do no more, and waited for the issue, Mr Martin left them, sad and reproachful. Some time afterwards a shout was heard, then a succession of shouts ; and, on the neighbours arriving, they found Martin crying out that his house was on fire. It appeared that some sparks had been driven by the wind under the flooring of the house, and set fire to the piles. Mr Bryant immediately got an axe, broke through the floo-. and extinguished the flames. The nect performance of Martin was to dig a hole in the ground, bury his blankets, clothes, cloo c, and crockery. He then fled. Yeaterdav morning he returned and found his hous standing, so he exhumed the portable pro perty, and re-entered possession of hi .• house.

On the old Ohariu road a shed belonging to Mr Greeves was burnt to the ground, and with it a quantity of hay. Mr Bowles alsj ■untuned some low, and Mr Baunderi' house,

with a splendid orchard attached, was not out of danger up to a late hour yesterday. The gorse surrounding the garden was atone time in flames, which were extinguished after great trouble and some risk, but the house still remained very unsafe. Mrs Reeves, wife of the late Mrß. Reeves, had to remove her furniture to a house in Johnsonville, but as that was in danger of the fire at one time during the night, the furniture was removed from there and taken into town.

The Johnsonville people were out of their beds the whole night, expecting that the fire would catch some of the gorse bushes, which grow luxuriantly everywhere. Had that happened there would have been little hope for the houses in the village. At one time it was thought the church would be again burnt down (it has already been burnt three times) ; but the fire which approached it was fortunately kept under, Mr McKee’s house, in the Horokiwi district was completely gutted, It had only been in the possession of the present lessee, Mr Butler, about a fortnight.

Mr Tolhurst’s house on the old Kaiwarra road was in great danger yesterday. Captain Moss and a number of his brigade proceeded there in the ladder waggon with two horses yesterday, and were most hospitably entertained. Captain Moss offered to leave three firemen behind in case of (an emergency, but as the danger had passed, the offer was declined with thanks, and the brigade men returned.

The fire extended to Nghauranga, the sparks, as before stated, being carried by the wind, and igniting the dry wood and undergrowth along the line. The house of a man named Washington, containing his wife, one child, and a lodger, was in great danger of being consumed by the fire which literally curled round it all night. This house is a few yards above the premises of Mr Walton, fellmonger, situated in the gully. Fortunately a creek runs by the house, and the men, assisted by neighbors, were enabled to prevent the fire obtaining ahold of the house by covering the roof with blankets, and then applying water continually. From the description given of the work we should judge that it must have been unusually warm and slightly scaring. The smoke was suffocating, the heat was intense, but not a moment’s rest could be indulged in. Of bnckets there were plenty, as it happened, otherwise Washington, who is also a new arrival and a struggling man, would have been left “houseless by night.” Yesterday morning, their work being done, the men could keep up no longer. Half blinded, and more than half choked, they went to bed, and one of them has not now thoroughly recovered his sight. At this point the fire stopped, but the bush is still on fire, which it would take very little to fan into a fierce blaze, and carry the fire still further along the spur.