BUSH AND GRASS FIRES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 322, 22 January 1908, Page 2

BUSH AND GRASS FIRES.

FORTY MILES OF HLA2K. Melbourne, January 21. A bush fire of great magnitude, with a frontage of forty miles, is sweeping the Edenhope district. It is supposed to have been started bv a swagsnian's lire. Settlers at Bergholm rushed to the river to save their lives, leaving their property to burn. Sheep perished b.V thousands. IN NEW ZEALAND. KEASSUIUNU REPORTS. Taihape, Tuesday. The fires around (he sawmills are ,e----garded as much less dangerous to-day. Although they are still burning, 'no ' serious advance is anticipated unless a •strong wind springs up. Reports from Koetahi am! Uhakune are also reassuring. At the lormer place a settler lost his house and his season's wool clip. Slighter losses were also suffered. IX HAWKE'S BAY. Hastings, January ->l. Stilling smoke, brought in by the south-east wind, indicates that large lires are burning.

Information from Cavavas, inland v from Waipawa, states that a lire is * raging at the foot of the hills. The wind changed later to the .south-west. This will probably save a large portion of the lleretaunga Wains. Ureal anxiety is felt at all the homesteads. < VVoodville, Tuesday. H A great fire is raging on both sides of * the gorge. It is fiercest on the roadside 1 Two small bridges havxe been burned. < Dannevirke, Tuesday. : Heavy Sires are raging in the Xorsei wood district. Several farm-houses have been destroyed. Waipawa. Tuesday. A big bush fire is raging near Makaretu. A high wind is blowing. IN FORTY-MILE BUSH. . Kketahuna, Tuesday. A heavy wind last night again freshened the lives, and they are spreading rapidly At Jiongakokako the. school and dairy factory are threatened. The position is extremely serious. At Mangamahoe there is a mass of Haines. The church is in danger. At Xireaha the fires are within twenty yards of the store and post otlicc. The smoke is so thick that the damage cannot be ascertained. Hansen's house, lias been destroyed. Bluett's house at Hukanui was among those burned last week. The wind is still high. There is no sign of rain. Very serious damage is feared. 1 Another relief party ha-s just left to ■ endeavor to assist the Rongakokako ' fact ory. Settlers in the Mangaoronga are un- ' able to reach town. An effort is being I made to succour them from here. d I Lighted timber is being blown over -1 the town, and is starting small tires in. i- the paddocks. The wind is increasing. V SETTLERS' STROM'! EFFORTS.

FOKCK OF THE FIRE. MANY SETTLERS' HOUSES | DESTROYED. FIRES SPREADING OVER DISTRICT. Wellington, Uist Night. The settlers of Rongokokako are digging holes and burying their furniture in anticipation of the tire becoming more severe. The tire has eased slightly, and with the efforts of the workers the position of the factory is rendered safer, though the tire got within fifty yards of it. The factory is still being very carefully watched.

At Nireaha terrible damage lias heen done. The fire swept with such force that nil efforts were unavailing. The school and the teacher's residence, the manager of the Nireaha Co-op. Cheese Co.'s house, and the following settlers' houses have been destroyed:—Hansen, Albcrthsens. Hooding, Saly. and Bttsst, besides numbers of huts and outbuildings. Arberthesens' timber mill is helieved to have heen destroyed. A young lad named Wa terns is reported to) be missing. It is impossible to ascertain the full damage in that district. The wind has changed slightly and made the position a little less severe. A number of men are watching the Nireaha Co-op cheese factory. They mOTM , R< .ix._t, l ._fcal M ..uiv milkj.here_this The Ekctahuna borough men are eh : gaged in putting out incipient fires in open sections at Newman. Fires appear to be spreading over a good few farms.

DAMAGE IN 11AWKES BAY. GRAVE FEARS ENTERTAINED. Napier, Last Night. Bush and grass fires at Pohui, Puketitiri. and other places in the vicinity completely enveloped Napier in a cloud of smoke this morning, quite obscuring the sun, which shone through the haze like a red ball of fire. No damage of any extent to dwellings or property is reported, except at iNorsewood, where five farms in the Ngamoko valley and two bridges on the main road between Ngamoko and Norsewood have been burned, and grave fears arc entertained for the safety of the creamery and Cohr's sawmill and niniimothcr of the settlers' homes.

SERIOUS OUTBREAK IN NELSON DISTRICT.

Nelson, Last Night. Bush and grass tires are still burning in all parts of the district. Another and more serious outbreak is reported to have occurred to-day in the Whangapcka district, and settlers are out defending their homes and stock. No reliable eports of damage have yet come to hand. The fruitgrowers in the Motueka and Takaka districts will be heavy losers by the drought, most of the crops, especially of raspberries, lieing utterly ruined. IN THE MANAWATC. Palmerston North, Last Night. Rush fires extend over a mile through the centre of the Mauawatu Gorge, and a number of bridges have been burnt. Palmerston is enveloped in heavy smoko to-day, and the fires are approaching much closer.