Following the summer of 1946, when the Taupo Country experienced the first large scale scrub and forest fires since the establishment of its great exotic forests, there has been a much greater public consciousnes of the danger of summer fires than ever before. Those who are careless with fire anywhere in the district are not likely to receive any sympathy if their excuse is the overworked one that they "didn't know it would spread like that!" Residents of Taupo have seen too many ominous columns of smoke like that in our picture above (State Forest Service photo) to have any patience with people who disregard repeated warnings against fire. Full details of fire regulations affecting the whole district will be found in special advertisements in this issue.

Taupo Times, Volume II, Issue 90, 9 October 1953, Page 1

Following the summer of 1946, when the Taupo Country experienced the first large scale scrub and forest fires since the establishment of its great exotic forests, there has been a much greater public consciousnes of the danger of summer fires than ever before. Those who are careless with fire anywhere in the district are not likely to receive any sympathy if their excuse is the overworked one that they "didn't know it would spread like that!" Residents of Taupo have seen too many ominous columns of smoke like that in our picture above (State Forest Service photo) to have any patience with people who disregard repeated warnings against fire. Full details of fire regulations affecting the whole district will be found in special advertisements in this issue.