BUSH FIRES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2814, 19 February 1908, Page 32

BUSH FIRES.

i \ ENORMOUS DAMAGE IN THE "> j NORTH. t i a VERY LARGE AREA AFFECTED. , SETTLERS SUSTAIN HEAVY LOSS. j. (From Our Own Correspondent.) , AUCKLAND, February 13. i- Extensive fires have occurred m th» \ Otau Block, five miles from Clevecl ■>•. i i At Waiioa South several lioum. - weie t burned. :1 The Government sconciy re?ci\c> a-e 0 threatened. > . Since yesterday afternoon the tov> n and 1 harbour .have been envelope.] m smoke. ' evidently from bu=>h fires. :1 A Dars»a.ille te'.egiam star-rs that several s hundred <v res of flax were destroyed by a. x fire which is i aging in the swamp of tho l , Kaihu districts. Downey and Clciu- art* • the principal lo=ers. j An excursion train with school children r and 200 adults was delay-ed half an hour by the fire while it crossed^ the railway. There are bush fires in every direction, and Dargaville is coveicd with smoke. February 14. „ The bush fires in the Kawlua district are disastrous, and report? from Te Ruarnoa state that the settlers are having a very c anxious time. The smoke was so severe ;, that the school children had to stay at school; t last night. Messrs Douglas and T. Parkinson, settlers on the main coach road, have had all their furniture removed and buried. The former had a new cowshed and a quantity of fencing destioyed, but he saved the house. Mr Parkinson's eyes were hurt, and Dr Jenkins found him absolutely blinded with i 6inoke. I The fence round the Te Ruamoa post 5 office (Mr Orniiby's. house) caught fire * several time-, but the outbreaks wore cx- " tinguit-hed. Messrs Tynan Brotheis, at ■ Kidohaku, have lost a quantity of fencing ' and stock. [ The fires are most severe at Oparau. Mr 3 M'lntosh has loot his house and stock. Mr ' Bell his house, and Troughon biothers t-heir * house. Mr M Intosh (who will bo lcnicmbe red as a witness in the Kia Ora wreck * inquiry, he and his family being passengers). ( ' has lost a lot of stock, but he saved the , ' nvilking oovv's after a hard fight. Mr ' ! C'lark'son just saved his house. I The roads are blocked in every direction, j and such fires have never been known here. . , At A^aroi the settlers are fighting liarct . | to save their homes. j The same remark applies to Kin'tehere . and Marokopa. Mr Elliott, of Oparau, lost 800 sheep in. one lot, and Mr Perham had 200 sheep roasted. There have been many hairbreadth escapes among fire fighters, ancl great distress pre- ! v.tils. j The whole of the northern Wairoa district '■ is under a cloud of smoke, bush fires rag- ; ing in all directions. j Yesterday some hundreds of acres of . flax were burned in tho Kaihu "Valley, on I the properties of Messis Williams and Marriner, Clear, and M. N. Downey. An excursion tiain from Kaihu, with' hundreds of passengers, was held up for halt an hour by the fire, which ciossed the line. A number of sleepers and a culvert j were destroyed. i Great fiies are raging in tho Waingaro j district, the flames sweeping: through the bush clearings and green bush. Great damage has been done to stock, grass, and fences. The Waingaro Hot Springs Hotel had a. nanoiv escape from total destruction, also i some settlers' houses. All the men employed . on load work around the district are giving ' help to combat the flames. Special praise is due to the Maoris, who were all night, fighting the fire at the Waingaro springs. I The wind is still blowing hard, and the ' whole district is practically a mass of i flames. Mr W. Seavell's house is now in ! great danger, aloo Messrs Gibson's and M-Millau'fi. At the Great Barrier the settlers have had an anxious time latterly owing to the spread of bush fires, which in some instances threatened their homesteads. Now that some heavy showers have fallen it is hoped that the bit^h and scrub fires will be put out on the Barrier. Rain has also fallen on various parts of the Coromandel Peninfeula, around Mercury Hay and Tairua, as well as at Gumtovvn. Advice received earlier in the week from the latter place was to the effect that the showers had been heavy enough to put out the bn«h fires, and it is hoped this will j also be the ca- c e in other districts where the iain> lun'o fallen. Unfortunately there ' does not: — appear to have been any Kei.ticd downpour of rain, and it is only in certain districts that heav v shower» have fallen. The damage done by bush fires in the Kawhia district i-, estimated a( £20,000. There has been a great loss of stock, Mr Elliott losing 800 6heen m one paddock, Mr Perham 200, and Mr Newton 200. Februai v 16. The whole country is enveloped m thick heavy smoke, and it is impossible to -co the harbour from the higher pans of the city. The »moke pall is renting over practically the whole province, and ships are meeting it many hundred miles at sea. The weather is calm and the iieat intense, and many residents uio complaining of smarting eyes ancl ■ throats through tho arid nature of the smoke. '' Aero-= the Waikato Kiver from Huntly . fierce fires are burning. A Mr Douglas has I had his farm completely burned out. Mr Duthie, another settler, has had hie house, buildings, etc.. destioyed. Messrs M'Kinnon Bios, lest 200 acres of gia-s and a laree area of green bu»h. The Otdu blook. in the Clevedon district, is burning fiercely, and great fires are - M gin jr in the bush country of the Waikato, Nmth Auckland and along the East Coast. Reports corriinc from the country tell alarming stories of damage done and thie-atening. Tho Kawhia and Raglan districts are on fire, and many settlors have lost their homes and all their belongings. Details from Ooarau. in the Kawhia district, show that the bush fires there started on Wednesday, and practically the whole of the settlement is burnt out. The damage in this district so far is estimated at £20 000. The whole of the Oparau Y.tlley

was 6\vept by flames, and there is hardly a blade of grass left. The 10-^ses of stock are very severe. Trou«hton Bros, lost 800 acres of teed, al«o their fencing and stock, only a whare being saved and the clothes they wore working in. Mr David Troughton had a trying time, being surrounded by fire from noon until 8 p.m. His clothes were piactieally burnt off his back. Missrs Bell Bros, lost their hou = c. sheds, fencing, crass, and stock, but saved a few of their household effects. Mr M'lntosh lost his house, furniture, fences, and grass, but saved his piano and other furniture by burying it in the garden. Mr Heywood Armstrong lost his sawmill, but saved the engine and belts. He had 8000 ft of timber cut and stacked, and it all went, besides the logs, flitches, and tram line. Other settlers on the Pirongia We-5t road are reported to have lost terribly. Mr Elliott lost 800 sheep in one paddock and Mr Perham and Mr Newton ?00 each. How severe the losses really are cannot be calculated. Fires are also raging at Awaroa and Teramoa ; in fact, the whole place 16 alight. It is hoped that the Government ■will oome to the assistance of the settlers who are burnt out, as otherwise it will mean ruination to them. Latest reports from Kinohaku state that 'the fires there are becoming serious. Already stock, fencing, and grass have been destroyed, and if the present wind^ keeps up there must be severe loss. Gangs are ' watching many homesteads. ! Several settlers have had their furniture j and valuables carted out on to the roads, , whilst others have as many as 12 packhorses ready saddled in readiness to take their families out. The Kinohaku School, at the iunotion, is threatened, and it is expected that the whole of the country 'there will be devastated. Everyone is very anxious, and the result •will probably be ' that many will be rendered homeless. The Raglan district ha 6 suffered very considerably from fire during the last couple of day 6. The town hae been completely hidden with smoke, and burned ashes are being carried into the town by the wind. Feed has been destroyed in every direction, and as a result the Kauroa Dairy Factory •will have to close down within the next few daye. In the Okete portion of the district through burning furze the flames took possession of a large tract of open country. The settlers turned out and worked all Sunday night to keep the fire in check, and it was' with much difficulty that Miss Wilson's and Mr Norman King's flaxmilla were eared. A quantity of flax and fencing were destroyed. Messrs Pegler Bros, had the misfortune to lose the best of their graes— «ome 250 acres, inoludiner last year' 6 sovvine On Thursday Mr J. Belcher and family had to desert their home at Kauroa and seek shelter at Raglan owing to the heat of the fire. He expects to lose his house. He reports having lost some five or six horses and some cattle. The whole of his place is surrounded by fire. " If it would only take what it has got and leave it at that we would not mind, but who can tell where it is going to stop?" asked Mr White, an Otau settler, of a Btar representative who went up to have a look at the fires raging in that district. Otau is on the ranges about eight miles from Clevedon. on the Wairoa South JEtiver. The land is all taken up, and many homesteads are scattered over the block. A great part of it is still in bush, and the houses of the settlers stand in the midst of forest in all stages-^some standing and some half cleared. Some of the land is grassed and carrying a good deal of stock. The fires have been burning here as they have in many other parts for the past month or so, but it was on Wednesday last that the settlers first experienced any immediate danger. A gale of wind sprang up on that day and the slumbering flames, which had hitherto contented themselves ■with quietly demolishing patches of the bush, were fanned into something wild and ■fierce. The fire fiend swept over the face of the land like a devastating spirit, and Thousands of pounds of damage were done in the course of a few hours. Every stick and every blade on the earth are very dry as the result of the abnormal peason we have had. and the fire ran uncheoked through mile after mile of bush, eorub. and clearing. Nothing checked it in it* mad career. All night the employees of Orum's timber mill fought with the flames to save the valuable plant, which at much cost and trouble had been carted right out to the heart of the 'block. Ceaseless vigilance and a slight change in the wind enabled them to save the property, but the danger is not over e-s en now, and men have still to watoh every spark that comes wheeling B-cross on the breeze. Along the Otau road was a waggoner, 'driving a four-wheel timber lorry, and when asked how the fires were out back, he said he went out to bring in a load, but had been fenced to turn back, _ as the horses would not face the fire, which was sweeping across the Toad. A party managed to get their reluctant horsp? past the dangr"- zone, and a few miles further on came to the homestead of Mr Fawcott. which had been in most dana-er of beingconsumed by the hungry fiend, standing on a hill surrounded by smoking fiies on every hand. The owner showed them where the fire had swept up the valley, across 70 or 80 chains of bu.=h and clearing in an hour and a-half. "Where mv stock is, I don't know." said Mr Faweett. as we gazed into the impenetrable wall of smoke that surrounded fhe place. An almost human cry from the smoke across the ridges told where some poor beast had been caught by tho fir<?=. and the hauntinpr hound was repealed pverv few minutes. Some 500 sheep and between 60 and 70 head of cattle were out thorp «oroewhere in the smoke, and t l ;e orlv bonn w^s that they were on the otiior of tho fl:<mp= In former firps the r-cundarv Has ahvrvs l>een the stanclins bu^h. 1 ivt tm~ v oil ilie fire knows no limit. " When jou ron^doi that it will cost a pound an -icro 1o cp( il back to its former state." said ihe ownei ■waving his hand over acre 5 and ones n{ 'blackened and burning gra-s paddocks, ard he broke off abruptly as though enousrh had been said, even if the fire stops now <but there is not the sliarhtpst prospect of it doing anything of the kind.) The loae to thp wayback settlers will be enormous in the aereregaie. While we looked, a couple of chains of fencing fell flat, as the posts were burned through a-t the bottom, and here and there a few more chains were crumpled up by hutre trees which had fallen. " And we don't get ten and fourper.ee a day for putting them to right-," was the only comment. At one time the house itself was in immi-

nent danger of falling. The wind swept the flames right across the back paddooks parallel with the homestead, and a sudden change brought them straight for the building, but just in the nick of time the wind veered a point or two and the flames, dividing m a wide fan, went to either side. Imagine the feelings of a man compelled to stand idly by and watch the fire slowly stealing over the clear ground between him and ruin or at the verr least the loss ot years of labour and toil. A Dargaville telegram states that the Okapakapa swamp, at Aoroa. is on fire. A large quantity of flax, the propeity of Mr Harding, has been destroyed. The Oturei swamp, at Aratapu, is also ablaze, and flax belonging to Natives hae been destioyed at Buckland. As the result of sparks from a passing traction engine a fire occurred on Mr J. Hartland's property, and one of the best pieces of bush which remain in the distuct was destroyed. Reports from Mokai state that the fine totara bush now Being milled by the Taupo Totara Timber Company is in danger of being swept away. February 17. If the full story of the bush fires were available there is no doubt that many a couutrv settler could tell stirring tales of risks run in trjing to stay the progtess the flames. That theie are risks is shown by the experience of Messrs Sinclair and W. Duncan. A day or two ago at Drury they had gone out from the Drury coal mine for the purpose of seeing about laying down a water pipe, and had gone some distance up a creek. Mr Duncan remarked to his companion that they must take care not to be caught by a fire that was burning on one of the hillsides. By and by they discovered that the flames had completely hemmed them in. Their danger was also noticed by others, and a rescue party was 6ent out, but the two gentlemen, by crawling down the creek, I managed to get out of the fire zone. SMOKE IMPEDES NAVIGATION AUCKLAND, February 17. The dense amoke prevailing along the coast caused considerable inconvenience to steamers on Saturday and yesterday. The Manuka, from Sydney, was several hours late in making port yesterday, while the Monowai, which left Auckland late on Saturday night for Gisborne, had to anchor off Rangitoto until daylight yesterday. The steamers Stella, from Hokianga. and the Baden Powell and Glenelg, from Whangarei, had also to anchor outside and wait for daylight. The steamer Ennerdale, which arrived\ from Sydney on Saturday, fell in with the smoke about 140 miles from Cape Maria Van Diemen, and had to come under slow speed down the coast. The smoke prevailing along the West Coast is also causing considerable inconvenience to shipping. THE FIRES IN TARANAKI. NEW PLYMOUTH, February 13. During the past three days the whole of Taranaki has been enveloped in a thicla haze of smoke from bush fires around the base of Mount Egmont, and from the back country inland. Fanned by high winds the grass fires have spread in all directions, a few being within striking distance of town. These burned themselves out when the wind dropped. Further back, towards the mountain slopes few have escaped the anxiety attendant upon defending their homes from devastation. Sb far. no sawmills have been reported lost, although many had the narrowest of escapes. Bush tram lines have been destroyed in many places, and it is also feared that numbers of sheep have perished. Several schools narrowly escaped the flames, and have been closed on account of the attendant dangers. In addition to the houses already destroyed in Rahotu district, news was received to-night of further losses, and should the wind rise the flames, which now spread intermittently over many miles, are likely to cause widespread havoc. Only one shower has fallen this year, and unless the. drought breaks shortly the equanimity with which farmers have up to now viewed the unusual spell must give place to serious apprehension in view of fires and the prospective shortage of winter feed. In the Cape Egmont district considerable destruction has been wrought by bush fires. The homesteads of Messrs Morrow and Clarke, on Kahui road, have been destroyed, and Rothery's sawmill has been on fire, but has been saved from complete destruction up to the present. The Opunake Company's sawmill is also in danger. Fires ar-e raging- practically over the whole district to north and west of Mount Egmont HAWEA, February 11. Bush fires, from which a great part of this district has happily been heretofore free, broke out on the Auroa-Manawhero road and on the Stratford-Opunake road on Sunday. The grass and bush burned fiercely, the flames travelling at a terrific rate. Geary's new house, also the sheds belonging to Campbell, Satchell, and Soarle were burnt. Other places were saved with the utmost difficulty, the bands of workers being blinded and exhausted by smoke and heat. An area two miles wide and Jour miles long is devastated. Parkes .-..id Brooker, sawmillers. lost their timber tram lines. A number of bridges, a quantity of fencing, and much firewood also fell before the flames. ADVICES FROM TAIHAPE. WELLINGTON, February 13 Advices from Taihape state that fires in the Waimarino district caused considerable damage through the wind rising yesterday and last ni^lit. Communication is broken, but from rpporw to hand it is kno.vn that many settlers around Okahune and Ranjatana had a try ing time. Some" hou-cs v..... c dest royed and otheis cniaj'it Hie. but the flames wore j afte, l'ttlo damage had been done A fivei loomed clv elling-hou^" and outbuildings v.'nrc burnt dov. n. little hems, s>a\ed. Thero i^> sroit Jr.-* of hay and winter feed. Several -ettlpr- aie isolated and I fannct obtain hf-lp Tho milk supply is interrupted, only two -implies con ing to the creamery this morning. The Maunpranuiatfao Valley is a ma-s of flame°. and camp- have been de«tioved. Fires are raeincr from the Makatote viaduct to the Toanui viaduct. Falling troos are expected to interfere with coach traffic* j to the Waimarino. ' The Rangitana Station nearly went ' yesterday. j * A sash aud door factory and a butcher's shop at Horopitonu were destroyed, and j

the Government stores had to be moved to ] a cement ehed. j The fire 3at latest advices were spreading at Mataroa._ j Somerville's block is in flames, destroying fences and green, bush. The settlers i are fighting the flames da.v and night, and arc removing their furmtuie to places of safety. The sawmill in Somerville's block has had its tramways destioved, and budges have been stripped of their decks in orCler to save them from the conflagration. TAIHAPE. February 14. Raetihi advices state that Mr Peter Brass"* hou-^e and woolshcd. on the Omeku road, wore destroyed. On the Pipiriki road blocks the children attending school had to spend the night in the township. Mr King's house at Mangituroa, was clestroypd. and Mr Hodrlle's slaughterhouse on the Pipiriki road has gone. All the wires are down, and it is un possible to get deta-ils. On the Valley road Mr Nairn and Mr Coots, settlers, are burnt out. Reports from higher up the load are not to hand, but the damage must be extensive. The settlers at Pukekaru had perhaps the worst time. The wind blew with hurricane force, and it is estimated that the fire travelled half a mile in five minutes. Camp dwellers left to assist the wives and families of the settlers. In one case a lady and her brother were le-acued in the nick of time, both almost suffocated. Many settlers were burnt out, and the Pukekatu School wae swept away. It is belieAed that the settlers further back fared cv en worse. It i 3 an anxious time on the Pipiriki and Middle road, the settlers fighting the fires day and night. Several homesteads have gone. Settlers who came to Raetihi are unable to return, and while detained their homes have been licked up. In some caees watch has had to be kept night and day for a whole week. Later re-iorts state that Messrs Spence and Mosen, sen. and jun., were burned out. The only insurances known are those of Braes, Nairn, and Harris, £325. DEVASTATION AT RAETIHI. WANGANUI, February 15. Private reports received here state that bush fires are raging disastrously in the Raetihi district. A clean sweep has been made of Merson's mill, timber stacks, sheds, and house. The fire is travelling along the RaetihiPipiriki road, where 12 settlers have been burnt out of their hou»cs. also losing considerable stock. No details of this are yet available. Raetihi is cut off from, communication. The smoke from these fires has spread all over the district, and Wanganui. 40 miles away, is enveloped in a heavy pall. WELLINGTON, February 14. Reports from Raetihi state that Orautoha Valley and other places in the Waimarino district have been swept by fire, and are now a waste. Messrs Moscn (2), Nairn, Spence, Patterson, Cox. Gosnell, Coutts, Harris, and Kerr have been burned clean out. Woolsheds and other buildings, gras6, and grass seed are all destroyed. Many persons are suffering from the effects of fighting the fire, and some are said to be blind. Reports of further loss are still coming in. There is urgent need for Government assi&tance, as many of the victims are ruined. Stock in great numbers has been destroyed. So far, information as to the extent of the damage is unobtainable. A strong breeze is blowing, and the outlook is stiii serious. Taihape had no telephone communication with Waimarino until late this afternoon. The latest information from Ohakune is that fires are burning at Rangataua, and the position is etill critical. Last night the fire came within_2oo yards of Ohakune, and threatened Crowther and M'Cauley's new stabler and other buildings. Fires are still ravaging Horopito. The danger is not. half over. The grass along the river near Taihape took fire this afternoon, and savagely attacked a dwelling. The fire brigade and borough roadmen all turned to. Little water was available, but after a hard struggle the flames were subdued. Later reports from Raetihi state that the town is surrounded by fires, occasioning great alarm, a 6 in the case of a gale from the 60uth the plaoe would fare ill. Settlers have lost heavily in stock, grass, and fencing. One settler had his cattle burnt in thoir yard. Others are heavy losers. In the Ohura Valley the settlers had a big fight, the fire bursting upon them through the green macrocarpa trees. One house was saved with extreme difficulty. Then +h<? firo ran through throe properties, devastating all. Mr Dickson lost 400 sheep and all his grass. At Waipuna the position is critical. Mr S. Gould's house was burned, alao the men's whares. Messrs Meek and M'Combe'a vvoolshcds also went, the latter losing his wool as well. It is reported that not an acre of grass is left in the Waipuna district. Settlers consider the ~mall firea in January saved Wiipuna from total destruction. On tho Pipiriki road the situation i« grave. The fire burst through tho green bush and swamped four holdings, the residents having to flee. The los?«, m sheep here are very large. There are big fires on the Hikuroa road, but no danger is reported vet. The Manganuraoteoa settlors lose hea\ ily, especially in stook, and some house* went. Horopito is surrounded by flames, but no further lets is yet reported. The road is almost impassible owing to the smoke and heat. The Raetihi townspeople are discrina: holes ; m which to bury their effects in case [ things come to the wor»T. ""Reports from Mataroa state that Mr J. 01 Ivor's house is cone. A newly-erected bndce for Messrs Smith and Donald's mill has ako gone, and the mill has dosed down in order to ropair damages to tho tramways. Quite 13 houses have been burned arornd Raetihi. Mi.st of the properties j \v-->re ur>ir>-.ured. meaning heav v looses to! the -vuloi-^. The fire- aip still buininor at Mataroa, j atfaokinc; a fiesh block now and then. j Tr-To i*. a bis; blaze on the lulls adjacent i to T.iih:> pe. sending up volumes of tnioke. j Tokapua settlors aro anxious owing to the i proximity of the fires. General alarm is folt throughout the distJict LOSSES IN HAWKE'S BAY. DANNEVIRKE. February 12. In an interview with a Daily Piess reuoiter the manager of the Hawke's Bay Sawmillers' Association stated that tlu , recent bush fires had practically crippleJ I

the Bawmilling industry in the province The output had fallen from an average of 3i millions to IS million. It was absolutely impossible for the mills in Havvke 6 Bay to supply ordei.s on time. Five milk had been piactically d'-'stiojod by fire-— Cohr's. at Norspw ood : Paicon's. at Norsswood; Gainman's, at O'anpa ; Fanbui.i and Co.'s. at Pohui , anil Anderson <?n.l Son's, at Pnipui. Otner milN iw 1 suffered groat lo=s m tia.m lines aril budges. It was po—ible that £10,000 would be a low estimate of the loss over the province. OUTBREAK IN WAIRARAPA. MASTERTON. February 11. Bush fires are raging between Eketahuna and Pahiatua on both sides of the railway line, and a number of settlers' houses are in danger. Mr P. M'Barron's house at Mangamahoe was destroyed through a bush fire on Monday afternoon. The house was insured for £300 and the furniture for £50. There are some signs of rain to-night. The fire brigade was called out to-day to attend to small grass fires in Masterton. On Monday night the Railway Department removed the rolling stock from the Hukanui and Newman Stations out of the range of the bush fires. LOSSES IN FEILDING DISTRICT. FEILDING. February 14. Apiti is ringed with bu6h fires, and the settlers are having an anxious time. Mr G. Rankin, of Table Flat, has had his residence destroyed ; Mr Gould has lost 40 6hoep : and Messrs Lawson and Davey have lost several outbuildings. At Umutoi se\ eral houses are in imminent danger. February 15. The Kiwitea County Council met at 9 o'clock this morning, but sat for only two hours to enable councillors to get home to save their properties from bush fires. Cr Guthrie stated that in the Ruahine district the fires had put back settlers 12 months in their work, and that great havoo i was being wrought. ! Moore's six-roomed house and outbuildings at Parapara were completely destroyed. The fire swept in one sheet of flame from the creamery on the Main South road, mopping up everything. The settlers in the Kawhatau district had a bad time. The school buildings were saved with the utmost difficulty. Tho Chairman of the County Council, who lives at Waituna, said his property was completely surrounded. Cr M'Neill said that practically there was fire everywhere between the Rangitikei and Kiwitea Rivers. DAMAGE IN MANAWATU. PALMERSTON N., February 16. Fires Mere raging last night in the Pohangina, Komako, and Apiti distucts, and have done- much damage, a number of settlers being severely affected. This evening the fires have died down somewhat, and nave relieved the situation, but it only wants a high north wind to devastate the whole valley of the Pohaneina. February 17. The grass fires at Pohangina Valley broke out with renewed energy on Friday and Saturday on the Delaware Flat and the Upper Pohangina farms, and swent through the greater portion of the large Government reserve, doing great damage. At Awahou South thousands of acres have been burnt, together with miles of fencing. So far the loss of stock is not great, but the position is serious. The settlers consider that should a strong northerly v. md arise the fire would sweep the whole country. The fires at Manawatu Gorge aif still burning on both sides, but no serious damage has been done. FURTHER LOSSES AT NELSON. NELSON February 12. Owing to the continued dry weather th« bush fires have again bioken out. One at Prettybridge Valley. Beljrrovc, yesterday afternoon started at Mr T. Price's, and spread with terrific velocity over an area of a couple of miles. The houses of Mr Price and nis son and Mr E. Hoult and the 6tables of Mr C. Davies were in danger all night, and were saved only by persistent fighting. Mr Davies and family were nearly suffocated, and had to be removed to Belgrove. THE WEST COAST. GREYMOUTH. February 16. On Friday extensive bush fires v> ere reflet led from all parts of the country, and on Saturday night it was reported that the fires were raging as fiercely as e\er, the whole of the hills around the town being li\ idly illuminated, while the smoke was very dense. In fact, the latter considerably delayed the shipping along the coast. Today the fires are still raging, and residents in the country are having a particularly anxious tune protecting their property. Shortly after 3 p.m. rain began to fall.