FOREST FIRES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 February 1939, Page 3

FOREST FIRES

LOSS OF NATURAL WEALTH IN NEW ZEALAND EXERCISE OF COMMON SENSE PRECAUTIONS. APPEAL BY HON W. E. PARRY. Each year carelessly-started forest fires cost New Zealand thousands of pounds in natural wealth, states the New Zealand Journal of Agriculture. The saving of the forests must be done mainly by the general public, and the Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon W. E. Parry, makes a strong appeal for the exercise of common sense precautions in the use of fire in open spaces. “All New’ Zealanders, of course, should be alert and active for the saving of their forests from fire.’’ states Mr Parry, “but perhaps farmers should be more keenly interested than other folk in guarding woodlands. “In many localities, especially in high, steep areas, the forests arc an insurance policy against erosion. The timber-milling and farming industries are usually the first to suffer from the fire fiend, but the community as a whole is penalised by the losses of material wealth. “The season of spring was not over before careless persons had begun the annual conversion of live trees into smoke and ashes. Within six weeks from the beginning of October about thirty fires were reported. The sad tally includes the destruction of hundreds of acres of plantations and much native bush. “Here are some of the losses: Tauranga: Native bush destroyed on local water-catchment area; hospital reserve damaged. Mount Edgecumbe, Whakatane: 300 acres of western yellow-pine (eight years old. 14ft high) destroyed. Whakatane: 100 acres, including clumps of native bush, destroyed. Blackleugh, Clutha Valley: 100 . acres of native bush and scrub destroyed. Paritutu, New Plymouth: Scenic pohutukawas destroyed. “Among the causes one sees those ■hardy annuals' —rubbish fires out of control and bush-clearing operations. Other known causes are billy-boiling by roadmen and cigarette-butts thown from motor-cars. There is reason to believe that some of the fires were due to deliberate mischief by adults and juveniles. “Statistics of forest fires in the United States of America show that about 90 per cent of them are man-made. Probably the proportion of man-made fires would be even higher in New Zealand. It is hard to imagine that the sun’s rays acting on fragments of bottles or other glass and other mysterious causes would account for 10 per cent of the fires. “It is one of the tragedies of civilisation that human stupidity or folly occasionally reduces the national wealth, Unfortunately, there are certain persons who may be regarded as ‘spoilers, ’• persons who cannot be reached by any appeal for conduct which will be fair to the community, but it is possible to induce the great majority of the public to act in accordance with the instinct of selfpreservation. That is why the Government is confident that the present campaign for commonsense in the use of fire will not be in vain.

WIDESPREAD LOSS. “I have mentioned that, although the first effects of a forest fire may be felt by only a few people, the destruction of material wealth is a loss to the whole community. To make that argument more impressive, imagine the loss of Canterbury’s wheat crops by fire. The farmers would be the first sufferers. but the disaster would affect the whole of New Zealand. In varying degree every forest fire has a similar reaction.

“If carelessness with camp-fires, the scattering of glowing butts of cigarettes and dotties of pipes, scrub-clear r ing, and other operations continues to be rampant in this country it will be indeed difficult to save native forests and plantations during the height of summer if the weather is normal. The man-power available for full-time ranging and other safeguards is limited. The saving of the forests must be done mainly by the general public with common sense precautions in the use of fire. “There must be also a willingness among people who live near native forests and plantations to co-operate in measures for saving the woodlands. There have been many admirable examples of that kind of team-work, and I feel sure that this national spirit of service will spread. “I believe that when the average New Zealander has a proper understanding of the physical features of the country he will be a strong supporter of a well-planned policy to save the soil—a policy which must include the guarding of protective forests against fire or other destruction. “Another important aspect of the case is the scenic value of native woodlands and plantations. In the view of many tourists from overseas the marvellous native forests are the best scenic asset.

“May Centennial year, increasing the tree-sense of New Zealanders, bring to them a determination to have the utmost caution in the use of fire in open spaces.”