West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 - 1954), Tuesday 14 February 1950, page 1


INCENDIARISM NEAR NANNUP FEARED Four fires along the main Bridgetown-road near Nannup, which were believed to have been de-liberately lit, were menacing 20,000 to 30,000 acres of some of the State's best jarrah and karri country yesterday.

About 50 men under Forests Department officials fought the fires, and local police and a native tracker investigated the cause of the outbreaks. A motorist reported to the local forester (Mr. O. Pears) at 1.15 p.m. yesterday that the fires were blazing along the main road about a mile apart, the nearest of them being about 5½ miles from Nannup. Firefighting teams from Jar-rahwood, Manjimup and Wil-low Springs were immediately organised and started fighting the flames. Mr. Pears, Con-stable E. Williams and a tracker went to the locality to investigate the cause, but could find no signs of footprints nor of anyone who might have lit the fires. It is believed that they were lit by someone travelling by car. Late last night it was reported that three of the four out-breaks were under control and that a big team of firefighters had concentrated their efforts pn the fourth fire. Local Brigades Active Reports of other fierce out-breaks of fire in the country, which were quelled by the ef-forts of local bush fire bri-gades, were received in Perth yesterday. In a shade temperature of over 100deg. at Beverley on Sunday firefighters from the town and country battled to control a fire which broke out near the East Beverley-road. It burnt through timbered coun-try to hills north-east of the town, including 1,500 acres of rough grazing country, and destroyed areas of stubble be-longing to Mr. F. Ellis and Mr. L. Caudle. Fencing throughout the area was damaged. The properties of Messrs. J. D. McKellar, S. E. Ashby and F. Ellis were endangered and to save these it was decided late in the afternoon to burn back from the town side of a range of hills down which the fire was making headway. Soon the whole of this country was ablaze, providing a spectacular scene with trees, fallen timber and scrub feeding the flames. At night it was watched from various vantage points by hun-dreds of townspeople. By mid-afternoon it was estim-ated that 200 firefighters were present with fire tank equip-ment, pumpsand one power pump. A close watch is being kept on the logs and debris which are still alight. Dry Feed Lost Near Albany A bush and grass fire broke out yesterday on vacant land owned by the State Housing Commission at Bunbury and endangered surrounding pro-perty, including a garage, be-fore it was brought under con-trol by the local fire brigade. On Sunday morning farms on the west side of the King River, near Albany, were men-aced by a bushfire which was fanned in by a hot north wind from Mt. Willyung. Bush fire

brigades fought it strenuously for several hours, and damage was restricted to small areas of dry feed and some fencing. Lesser fires throughout the Albany district were also dealt with by teams of firefighters. Circumstances suggest that some were deliberately lit. Starting in Mr. F. L. Brown's paddock, a serious bushfire swept over the Queenwood dis-trict, near Donnybrook, along the Preston Valley on Sunday and yesterday. A gusty wind took it through the properties of Messrs. A. Beckett and J. M. Hearman. A big team of men answered the call for help and a cricket match at Yabberup was abandoned to enable, vol-unteers to attend the fire. Damage was mainly confined to fences.