Wow
REGIONAL
Wow
Youths Blamed.By Our Special Reporter TUMUT; Saturday.
Fires in the burnt-out Riverina and Murray Valley areas are quiet today except near Tumut, where 300 men in mountainous country are fighting fires which are threatening fertile valleys. The most serious fire is seven miles from Tumut between Blowering on the Tumut Highway and Gilmore between Tumut and Adelong. This fire started last night in property belonging to Mr. Arthur Davis. Mr. Davis said the fire had been caused by three youths who shot down the power line crossing his property. Mr. Davis said: "About 6 o'clock last night we heard three shots and saw the youths firing at the power line. "They severed the line, which fell into dry grass and started a fire immediately. "I shouted out to them and they ran, jumped into a motor car and drove full speed towards Tumut." STARTED AGAIN Mr. Davis gave the alarm and firefighters from Tumut controlled the flames last night. This morning the fire broke out anew, burnt through portion of the property owned by Mr.Tom Norton, and then to the top of the heavily wooded hills. To-night, fanned by a light breeze, the fire is slowly creeping down the other side of the crest to- wards heavily grassed country at Blowering. Volunteers are attacking the fire from both sides of the range. Dense clouds of smoke and falling trees are hampering them. Burning logs are a constant hazard as they fall and roll down the burnt-out hill into the grass below. Forestry Department crews with water carts are standing by at the foot of the hills to hose out the logs as they roll down. RUGGED COUNTRY Other fires in the Tumut area, which have already burnt out one homestead and approximately 900 acres and killed more than 1,000 sheep belonging to Mr. Ralph Eggleton, are now burning in mountainous country where the terrain is too rugged to fight them.
Tumut police said last night that a fire between GILMORE and BLOWERING, was brought under control yesterday after destroying 500 acres of grassland. Fences were lost, but stock and property were saved. Fires were still burning, in three places in the Mannus State pine forest near TUMBARUMBA last night, but 60 Forestry Commission men and volunteers had them isolated. Tumbarumba police said they would keep the fires patrolled until they burned out.
Ref- The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW : 1842-1954) Thursday 7 February 1952).
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