FIGHTING BUSH FIRES

Hokitika Guardian, 16 September 1921, Page 4

FIGHTING BUSH FIRES

(By Leonard Flemming, who lias been a farmer in both Australia and South Africa).

hi Australia a “bush lire,” once started, may take weeks to put out. after having done many thousands of pounds’ worth of damage. Once alight there is little to stop it. First, it catches the grass—as dry as straw—and then the parched, iin 11'(lead eucalyptus trees. Hundreds and hundreds of miles of trees up to 200 feet -in height. At night the flames leap hundreds of feet, licking and enveloping every tree around. One after another these loiter and crash down in two-, and threes, and hundreds, sending tip into the crimson, belching black of the sky millions of sparks and blazing, wliiiling brands of wood. And on and ever on races a livid roaring sheet of flame, perhaps ' miles across, while ahead of it lies a dense dark forest Fiat the long drought lias made as inflammable amatchwood and petrol. The heat is «o intense that a quarter ol an hour is -

fore the flames reach the trees tin's" are already shrivelling and hleaehiu < white, only to hurst into one roaring mass of tire the iiisiani the llamcreach tlieni; Somewhere ahead—miles ami mil"ahead -a backwoods paitv oi men arc hacking and chopping and sawing a path half a mile broad aero.-s a tin:: n ■

portion of the I'oroi. ft i- (lie oiliy hope of checking the iirc.i And racing to tills spilt troiii distent tm-ins mid villages arc men, ami yet more lin n, on horseback and in carls. liuriyiug to help save themselves and llieir district from tulnl ruination.

Tn South Africa the first intimatimi of a veld fire-is generally the strange pungent scent of the burning grasfrom afar.

Every native on the farm is qui, kit turned out at the first sign ol it. Oh! grain ling* dipped in .water are hurrird ly given them and all bands ra- e to lb ' starting point of the fire. Then begins one of the liardes cruellest, and most heartbreaking job? 11nn man can possibly tackle. The beaters stand Id ta !•”> yards apart. Each lias his own section of lire lo pul not, and, wi'b let: arms m

shield 'the face and eyes from the scorching heat, the wet bags, held at one corner, arc beaten on to tho llani-

l-'ool by foot, yard by card, i In- men move slowly lorn aid. The smoke is blinding, the beat intense, and ihe long liliv'.ing, crackling line ol flame tearing into the grass a mile or more a‘lead makes the task seem one ol complete despair. But slowly you move forward, boating. beating, beating, it seems inch bv inch. This goes on tor lioiii-. A '-mldcn change in Ft wind and tin' roaring llamc swings into youface, scorching the eyelashes. eyebrows, and hair. Tin* pain in the eyes is unbearable, t.lio mouth and tongue arc like a driedup sponge. The hags are dry and catch alight • your clot lies arc s. orcln d brown and black, and to add to the hopelessness nf i[ all. I hero, behind Mill, where vo'l have broil steadily a-.'.ting out lor i re hours or more. Some bilk' sunuilih'. ng piece of refuse oi a chance spark ha--S"1 the glass on lire again. Two or three ot lho I eaters arc - "itback lo put that out while ihe 'C-l ol you redouble vnur cflort to make up fin the shortage ot hands. -to n goes on through the hot scorching day, and when at night the last llamc has been exiingiiisbed you crawl away into the grass and. it youi binning thirst allows yon. sleep, and sleep, and sleep.