BUSH FIRES.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VIII, Issue 2187, 7 January 1886, Page 2

BUSH FIRES.

Mastertojj was completely encircled by bush fires yesterday afternoon, aud had it not been that there wa little wind, it is impossible to say what disasters we might have had to chronicle. Despite the frequent warnings that ha.ve been given, people continue to be most careless with matches, and we have heard of many instances in which fires have been deliberately lighted for the sake of burning off. In the neighborhood of Manaia several persons appear to liavo made it a practice to. start fires whenever opportunity offers, and the settlere have in consequence had scarcely any time to do anything else but save their houses and fencing. Yesterday, being an extremely hot clay, eyeiythir.g burnt like matchwood, and shortly after midday large masses of smoke were to lie seen ascending from every quarter of the compass, so that by 4 o'clook the sun was almost obscured. About this time word was brought to town that a fire which had been started in the upper portion of what is generally known as Wrigley'sbush, was threatening the dwelling and outhouses of Mr C. J. Freeth, and the Fire Brigade having beon mustered, an engine was sent up. A lot of logs and rubbish were found alight, the lire having spread over about two acres of ground. The hose having boen got out, the flames were extinguished, With a fresh northwest bee?e this five would (jertainly have travelled through tlje bush, and tljreaterieii the town. During the . afternoon a messenger arrived' from' Upper Manaia, and endeavored to get a number of men to ■ proceed to that locality, where a tremendous fire was raging. It appears that the fire started at tlie bacslc of i\v D. Donald's property, aiid being fanned by a moderate northerly wind, soon got out on to the open, where it swept off the grass in thorough Australian style. We have been informed that it went down as far as the Manaia pah, : A good deal of fencing is said to have been burnt, but otherwise no damage was done. The effort to got men from Masterton proved fruitless, as all available men had gone to the fire near Mr Freeth's house,' It is said that Mr 6, Watson jja'd a number of sheep burnt, but the l'ep.ort licks confirmation,- Mr D. Donald, Messrs Judct, and other settlers at '%'aji "took"eyery possible precaution to protect their houses, ivhiph wore at one time in groat danger. There being a prospect of the wind changing to the North-west, the sottlers on the Upper Plain, from Mr Giles Chamberlain s downwards, consulted as to the best means to adopt, and decided in case of necessity to assemble at Mr Chamberlains', aa' being the nearest point to the fire. Mr Chamberlain has about two hundred cords of firewood stacked in lib bush, and as i\ll the jailer wood is lyiiig fiM | n heaps, |t %otild Ji'^e' beeu a ta#rof considerable difficulty to arrest the progress of the flames, especially as tljei'o is'no water iii the vicinity. 'Mr John Yates also has a'iiimjlar. quantity pf firewood stacked near,'"the railway line, which " would,' of "copse, have afforded additional food, fortiinately what little wind there was died away during tho night, and so far the danger has been averted; b«t there is no saying how soon afresh breeze may sprin" Up and fau tho smouldering logs into flames,

Tins morning the emoko bangs like a pal over tlio town, and tho sun may bo looked at as through a piece of colored glass. Objects in tho streets that are more than thirty chains away art quxto invisible, and were it not fo? tfte inteiiso' heat one migljt imagine tliat tlietp.wn was enveloped ui a winter's fog. ""' '" Newliias'conie from, tfie Taueru that a 1 he bush surrounding tho township is alight, and that the hotel has been covered with wet blanks,/ is also Said kibe in ganger,, A Jarga tract of grass on that portion of Messrs Beetham's run lying nearest the Tauoru is rvleo said to have been burnt off, A five started in the bush at Lower Munaia yesterday, and swept all over the ft*. Davicl Donald ' Mako^ All the dead timber is alight in the neighborhood, and only a half-chain ro°ad separates the fire from the properties of Messrs Wickenden, Oreßswpll and Sage all of which would be in the greatest danger should a bree?e spring up.