IMMUNITY FROM FIRE

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 341, 30 September 1932, Page 5

IMMUNITY FROM FIRE

Owing ,to the vigilance of a wellorganised fire patrol, the damage caused to the indigenous forests in New Zealand last year was practieally negligible, states the annual report of the State Forest Service. The most serious outbreak which occurred was at Hanmer Springs, and destroyed 67 acres of five year old pinus radiata trees valued at £427. The only other plantation fire was caused by a change-of wind during land clearing operations adjoining the Blue Mountains plantation in Otago. The outbreak was quiekly suppressed. In North Auckland, a fire scorched about 100 acres of six year old trees in a private commercial plantation and in the Canterbury province, another private afforestation company suffered to the extent of about £3,350, as 350 acres of trees were destroyed. Severe losses were also suffered hy certain local bodies in the same province, the total acreage burned under this head being 236, valued at £2100. In the Rotorua region, four small fires in virginous forest were suppressed without damage to standing timber. Three of these were due to sparlcs from a sawmill locomotive. The most serious fire in the Wellington region was at Tongaporutu, Taranaki, where 250 acres of secondgrowtb, in a forest reserve, were burned out. In Southland five fires occurred in old workings, and burned 125 acres of cut over bush, but generally the fire damage was normal. "Although not so numerous as previously, cases still occur of fii'es heing lighted in fire districts during the closed season," the report adds. "The most flagrant case occurred at Conical Hills, Otago, where, despite a warning notice, a party' of visitors lit a fire which might have heen attended with disastrous results." The total number of fire districts is now 32 and the area covered, 250,000 acres. These still provide an effective measure of control and are partly responsible for the comparative immuliity from serious fires enjoyed hy the State forests in reeent years. The price of this freedom in the main, however, must he etcrnal vigilance on the part of all field officers during the dry months of the year.'