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Hokitika Guardian, 28 January 1928, Page 2

Tub need for care with fires in the bush ha.s .boon emphasised specially during the spell of line weather. It is plain that too nine It < lire cannot lie given to the matter fn fact the best .advice to he followed is not to light fires at all adjacent to the bush. The smouldering embers arc liable to be fanned by the evening breeze, and in a shout time with conditions favourable, a considerable lire may result. Many patches of native scrub and fern have been burned out in this wav. n:nd several points along the roads I have bi>en disfigured by patches of ! light hush destroyed. The chief dunj ger. however is t hat valuable forest ! lands might lie involved, and on that i aiTount it would lie well to avoid risk i from fire. More near town there is ! risk always from burning gorse and ' juveniles in particular should be wnrn- | c-il against firing scrub unnecessarily, | as with a favourable breeze the cxj tout of the damage possible would be bard to gunge. There lias been much risk and danger with the forest fires J in the reserves and a good deal of expense incurred in the effort to supprers ! the outbreaks. Several of them oecasI ioiicd a good deal of anxiety in the | effort- to control. With a raging bush | fire in particular fire is a bad master, and the loss is often irreparable. Where forests go, tlier rejuvenation is not- possible for many many decades, besides the immediate loss in value of a neeesary commodity. With the experience of late in regard to weather conditions, the lesson of the neoes-ilv to avoid bush fires should bo implanted in the minds of a.ll, and it is hon'd lathe duty of all to act as rn-efliri.-d .Gingers in this matter, and where danger is noted to see that any positive effect is removed at once. In particular, juveniles should bo warned about lighting fires earelesly. ami leaving the flames unattended to the merey of the winds A word in reason at this point appears necessary, for circumstances justify the grea test on re and consideration by all ill the matter of rhi.-i dangerous practice of lighting fires adjacent to hush or scrub.