BUSH FIRES

Hokitika Guardian, 27 July 1932, Page 6

BUSH FIRES

HOUSES IN DANGER. AROUND RUNANg/a. (■Per Press Association — Copyright ) GREYMOUTH, July 27. An abnormally stiong ©aster.y/wind which prevailed yesterday following oil tli© long period of drought '.being experienced, was used .by many peopde throughout the district to clear th'©ir| properties of scrub and bush, with thleS result that during the day the sky bore a “smoky” appearand©, and at it gt fall the hills around the town wpre studded with points of light, giving an idea of bon-fires lit at regular intervals. These Were the trunks of trees that were burning for their full! length, and fanned by the wind they sent shower's of bright sparks high into the air, which were carried for great distances. A bush fire was started on the Dunollie side of the Du noil, o railway cutting, just behind the township and, fanned by the wind,. quickly swept through the heavy hush to the railcutting, where its ptrogre's was temporarily stayed. By this time the position had become decidedly menacing to the houses on the Runanga side of the cutting, and the Church of England belli was rung as an alarm to call the people of R.unanga. out to fight the blaze. This was at approximately nine o’clock, and within a few momieiiits a large band of fire-fighters had assembled, comprising the majority of the able-bodied men of Runanga. Armed with sacks, shovels, pieces ,of tin, and in fact any available object, they at once l set about confining the fire to the Dnnollie. side of the cutting, h The homes most seriously threatened in the locality Were those occupied by Messrs V. Armstrong, Isaac Powell, James Wilson, James Devlin and George Eveington, and particularly the latter, where the showers of sparks and the burning bush came so . close that it caught alight, but willing hands soon extinguished the outbreak. ; From the homes of. Messrs Wilson and Armstrong all of the furniture was removed. "Mr Wilson had his coat bunted practically, off his hack," while another man had his whiskers singed, and many suffered a minor scorching. The smoke and sparks Were quite aweinspiring, : but the residents wto. had come to the' aid in 'such a .groat number worked with a will that was Very corhmendable. \ ..; . It was as iearly as 4.30 p.m. yesterday that the fire fighting began, and it continued up tilll about 11 o’clock last night, when the nearby hush was practically burnt out.

. The nigbtwatohman (Mr .T. Williams) at Hokitika reported this morn-' ing having seen a bijg glare from a fire ; beyond Greyinoutb at L3O a.m. which lit tip the sky for . twenty minutes. '