GRASS FIRES.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 January 1926, Page 3

GRASS FIRES.

IH ASHSURTON DISTRICT. i IOM KSTEADS T! IREATKXED. [I, y TELEGRAPH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION*.j AHSBURTON. January 29. Grass fires in the Chertscy District which arc advancing over a four mile front at the rate of four or five miles hour destroyed O. Cameron’s stables and outbuildings, C. Flynn’s house and stables and two paddocks of oats and L. Hanrahan’s three large stacks of oats. Many homesteads arc threatened.

Hundreds of men are removing stock, furniture and valuables. AY. Page, of Ashburton, aged 70. was burned while endeavouring to save his motor which was destroyed, lie left it on the road in front of Hanrahan’s while assisting to save the furniture, the fire passing over it before it could he shifted. ASHBURTON, Jan. 29.

For the last week Ashburton County has had visitations of a series of grass fires, attributed to sparks from railway engines. Until to-day the damage was confined to plantations and hedges alongside the lines, principally the main line. To-day, however, a fire in tlie Chertscy district assumed serious proportions, causing damage to pastures, crops and buildings estimated at several thousands. The most serious losers were Air C . 1‘ lynno (a stable anil two paddocks of oats), Air J. Cameron (stables and outbuildings) and Air L. Hanrahan (three large .stacks of oats). Mr William Page, motor garage proprietor. of Ashburton, was severely burned in endeavouring to remove his motor car, which caught tire and was destroyed while lie was assisting to remove furniture from Air Hunrahnn'.x house, when threatened Ly the fire. He v,as burned about the back of the Load. shoulders and hips. In an effort to save himself lie rolled into an

adjacent water race, lie is now in tlie hospital in a most serious condition. This afternoon tho tire was blazing on a front of lour miles, and was travelling at the rate of four or five miles an hour. Hundreds of men battled for hours agiust the flames and worked ilcoperately in the removal of furniture, stock and oilier goods to places of safety. Fortunately, no homesteads were liurieil. though .several were threatened. some of them when women and children were inside with no means of access, ami then, providentially, the wind was playing with the (lames, am! by a freak of chance twisted the tire away when all hope seemed over. In Cameron's case the verandah was burned, hut it was pulled away by the fire-fighters, and the Humes left liie building itself untouched. Among the many assisting in the work were numbers of women and girls, who drove off the stock and removed furniture outside of the line of fire.

The fire extended for a distance of ten miles from Chertscy. when it was subdued. Aluch of the credit of this is due to Afr Alan Watson, who drove a tractor dragging a 4-furrow plough over a line of about seven miles long, thus forming an effective help against which the lire died down. Yesterday, most fires, prior to that at Chertscy. occurred in the Westerfield district, where 12(1 acres of plantation was destroyed, despite the efforts of a large number of residents, who in common with other localities, have been organised by tlie County Council. Damage estimated at a thousand pounds was caused.