West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Thursday 28 February 1935, page 15


COUNTRY FIRES.

Further Danafe Reported.

DONNYBROOK. Feb. 25.— Bushflres were prevalent along the Preston Valley during the recent hot weather. On Mr. H. Oldmeadow's urnnertv several hun

dred acres of feed were burnt and also a shed which was not insured. Messrs. Pugsley and Trobridge also suffered severe losses of feed and Mr. Carmicheal's hay shed was burnt down. Mr. N. A. G. Brockman's fruit shed was saved with great difficulty. Mr.' Oldmeadow suffered the greatest loss and will be forced to sell some of his stock owing to feed shortage. EAST NANNUP, Feb. 25.— On February. 22 a bushflre fanned by a strong north-westerly wind, swept over part of the district, leaving a trail of destruction behind. Three holdings were completely burnt out Mr. G. Gale suffered the loss of a barn and nine tons of hay, also portion of his milking shed, together with 70 acres of pasture. Mr. J. Chester lost about 50 acres of pasture.. One vacant holding was burnt. out, in this instance tbe house was completely destroyed. No losses have been reported of loss of stock. KUUN, Feb. 25.— Thursday, Friday and Saturday, February 21 to 23, were excessively hot both night and day, with northerly winds. In this ideal burning weather many farmers were busy firing their stubbles and two fires got out of control, one to the west of Kulin and one near Jilakin Rock. The former got into the big sandplain to the west of Senator Johnston's farm find his employees had a hard and anxious time for three days in keeping the fire out of the farm, for it was running in two faces through the sandplain and time after time seemed to have burnt itself out, only to start up again with a change of direction of the wind, on the flank of its former course. A firebreak that had been made outside Senator Johnston's western fence alone made it possible to successfully fight the fire. One tongue of fire further to the west got across the railway line near South Kulin and. travelled far to the south, but so far no news of any damage has been reported. Out at Jilakin Rock, Mr. C. W. Parker had also to contend with continually restarting fires for three days, he also succeeded in keeping it out of his property, thus saving his stock feed. LAKE GRACE, Feb. 25.— Bushflres have been very prevalent during the last week. One fire which started not far from the town burnt a large area of country. Messrs. Elliott Bailley, Harris, Blrt and Moore had a quantity of fencing destroyed. Other fires out at Burngup and Bunishe also did considerable damage; NORTH DANDALTJP-KEYSBROOK, Feb. 25.— A fire believed to have been started- by a railway locomotive on February 20 at about 12.30 pjn. swept, through a scrub paddock of Mr. T. Harrison at Keysbrook, from whence it entered the: property of Mr. C. Opitz, where It consumed approximately 120 acres of pasture. On the following day a bushfire entered the property of Mr. D. Keane, where approximately 150 acres of valuable pasture which had been reserved for summer grazing was destroyed. Fanned by a strong north-westerly breeze, the fire leapt the Keysbrook-West-rdad and burnt practically all the pasture on Noorong, the property of Mr. K. V. Gray. Several outbuildings were gutted and for some considerable time the homestead, which had become ignited, was in grave danger, and approximately 20 acres of pasture was also destroyed, on the property' of Mr. L. Westcott On the same day' a bushfire which had been, burning in the hills for several days, entered Mr. T. Robinson's property and devoured all the pasture, approximately 100 acres.