RACE WITH BUSH FIRE.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 January 1919, Page 7

RACE WITH BUSH FIRE.

AUSTRALIAN SETTLERS' THRIL LING EXPERIENCE Sydney, Dec. 21 The weather has been very hot and dry. and as a result bush fires are raging all over the country Wide areas of grass have been swept bare, hundreds of miles of fencing have been destroyed, and, in the aggregate a very large number of stock has been los.. Little effort is made to check the many fires in the bush on the lands which are useless f or all purpose—and there are many such tracts all about —but when farm lands aro threatened, the settlers quickly organise, and fight strenuously for hours and days to eave their property. There have been many adventures reported, and some narrow escapes, but so far thrre have been no deaths, iome farmers have suffered severely, and homesteads have been wiped out in different places. A party of settlers in Gilgandra district were alarmed by the approach oi fire through a patch of bush, went to Investigate, one man on horseback and the rest in a buggy. They went through the bush for some distance, and then, suddenly, met the fire approaching in one solid roaring mas* of flame. The man on horseback yelled to the others to folio* him, and dashed at the fire, breaking through in one place where the. WftH was thin. The others tried to follow, but their horse would not face it, and they turned and set off at a mad gallop over the rough track, headed for the paddocks from which they had come. It was a fearful race. The bellowing licking fire travelled as fast as they. The Barnes Beemed to be on both sides of them and over their heads. The fire gained and cut them off from a gateway which they were aiming at, and a wire feme broko tl oir iariW progress. Fortunately they had wire-cutters with them, and they hurled themst-lviis at the fence mid out a way through, dragged the buggy j through, and galloped for the edge of the bush. When at last they were safe, both men and horse fell down exhausted.