Fire Destroys Large Timber Belt

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 59, 2 December 1937, Page 5

Fire Destroys Large Timber Belt

Our Own Correspondent,)

I. X « ♦ « ATIAMURI FOREST . Strong Breeze Thwarts Efiorts to Combat Spread 640 ACRES SWEPT

(From

EOTOEIJA, This Day. Fanned by a strong south-easterly hreqze, a bush fire of unprec§dented prppprtions destrqyed a laTge belt of timber owned by New Zealand Pfrpetual Forests, Ltd„ at Atiamnri la§t night, Up to a Iate hqur hurriqdly? mobilised gangs of fire-fighters had been unablo to cope with the rapid adyance of the flames and, while it is imppasibie to estimftte the damage already caBSOl, the loss will be very considerablq, The plantation affeetqd by .the flre is about 640 acres in extent, and stretches approximately between the 17 and 20-mile pegs on the Atiamuri road. It was heavily planted witk pinus insignus trees, which reaehed an average height of about 50 feet. The flame's wero gprqad|ng last nigH with such rapidity that tbe wqrfeefp appeared to be faciug a ^hopeless taik, and a change qf wind seemed tq b« the only factor that would ease tht position. Strenuous qfforts were made to cheek the advance of the flames by burning back the bush from the road and by establishing patrolg along the highway for about two miles. The'se efforts wero rewarded with little success. Sparks were carried agross the road, and before • men could be mobilised tQ cppq with the position the dry undergrowth WftN ahlaze, Within a few minutep the timber was burning fiercely until the roa? pf the flames cpnld be heard PY§r two miles away.

A cau xor assxsrance xo cnecjc ine epread^of the fire was spgediiy pet, and withiiT an incredihly shqrt space qf time more than 150 men, many sent from Eotorna by the State Forpstr-f/ Department, had arrived on the scene. Hpwever, the gusty conditions that pre? vailed made thpir task almost impqf sible, and if appeared that almost th* whole block was wreatbed in flames. -The gangs were constantly being rOixiforced up tQ a late hou? Jasf ligh€ but it was considered that only a . change o'f wind could .preveut the ire from extending into the adjoining sec* tionp of forest.