Advocate (Burnie, Tas. : 1890 - 1954), Saturday 15 January 1944, page 5


FOURTEEN DEATHS IN DISASTROUS BUSH

FIRES IN VICTORIA

100 Houses at Black Rock

and Beaumaris Destroyed

MELBOURNE, Saturday (3 a.m.).-Fourteen persons are known to be dead and a number of others believed dead in disastrous bush fires which are sweeping many parts of Victoria.

Hundreds of houses, homesteads and buildings have been de-stroyed, and thousands of acres of grass and farm land devastated, fires were still burning fiercely this morning at Woodend, Hamilton, Dunkeld, Goroke and Daylesford, and further extensive damage is feared.

At 2 a.m. to-day police headquarters reported that the position

was very grave in several districts, and the death roll was ex-pected to mount.

One hundred bayside homes were destroyed at Black Rock and Beaumaris, popular holiday resorts 15 miles from Melbourne. Heavy smoke hung over the city all day.

TOWNSHIPS WIPED OUT

Police have received news of deaths from the following areas: Derrinalum (3), Skipton (2). Hamilton (2). Roke-wood (2), Berrybank (2). Woodend, Linton and Mt. Dunneed (1 each).

With only meagre information to-hand, police estimate that 407 homes have been destroyed.

The totals so far are; Beaumaris, 100; Rokewood, 60; Winchelsea, 50; Skipton, 40; Hamilton, 35; Dunkfield, 35; Gisborne, 20: Daylesford, 20; Carrington. 16; Woodend, 11; Oak-leigh, 6; Pascoe Vale, 5; Wattleglen, 3; Penshurst, 4; Goroke, 2.

The report has since been receiv-ed that the townships of Derrinalum and Dundonald in the same area have been wiped out. So has the township of Mt. Bute, ten miles

from Lismore.

Only six of the persons known to have died have been identified.

They are: Mrs. T. Moore (58), of Berrybank; Colin Dunn (41), of Berrybank; Mrs. Sarah Lugge (72), of Woodend; Mr. Percy White, of Birregurra; Keith Kneeshaw of Werneth, near Cressy; William Preston (69), of Mt. Dunneed.

Kneeshaw died in hospital from se-vere burns sustained in fighting the fire. Preston collapsed while engaged in fire fighting.

Mrs. Moore and Colin Dunn, her grandson, were burned to death trying to escape to the safety of a dam at

Berrybank.

Mrs. Lugge who is believed lo have been a visitor to Woodend, was found on the road two miles from the town. She is believed to have become fright-ened and attempted to reach the cen-tre of Woodend. The fire, which be-gan yesterday morning and was still raging last night, was being fought by three country brigades and servicemen

The fire, which caused two deaths at Brabville, wiped out farming settle-ments. Twenty farming properties were reported to have been burned out.

A fire near Skipton was under con-trol late last night. Several people burned fighting this fire have been ad-mitted to Skipton Hospital.

Twenty houses in Hamilton and

number of others at Dunkeld were des-troyed by an outbreak which was still out of control Iast night. Full details were unobtainable, as telephone and telegraph lines had been destroyed Three lives were reported lost, but this cannot be confirmed.

At least six houses have been des-troyed at Beeac, also many farming properties. A number of residents has been admitted to Beeac Hospital suf-

fering with shock.

A large number of farming buildings were destroyed in the Goroke district by a fire which began near Koonak and swept on to Mitre on a 12-mile

front.

While men were fighting the fire an-other arm descended suddenly on Gor-toke, but women residents, equipped only with buckets, kept it away from buildings. A number of fighters was injured, but none seriously.

A large fire in the Daylesford dis-trict burned through Franklinford, Mt Franklin and Porcupine Ridge dis-tricts, causing considerable damage. Hundreds of volunteers and soldiers, at-tended bv Red Cross workers, were fighting the fire late last night, but it was still out of control.

BEECHWORTH THREATENED

Beechworth was seriously threatened yesterday afternoon by a fire which skipped a break four miles south-west of the town and raced for two miles on a 10-mile front before being stopped.

Hundreds of Army personnel with trailer pumps and thousands of feet of hose fought the flames for three hours before they were able to seal the break. While directing operations Mr. A. Lawrence was burned on the feet and legs. He was admitted to

hospital.

During the morning a gusty northerly caused concern, but the fighters main-

tained the upper hand. The fire spread rapidly on a wide front and raced to-

wards the town, but it was finally seal-ed off. Elsewhere in the district the situation is under control.

Farming equipment and 3000 bales of hay were destroyed on a property at Mornington. Servicemen helped po-lice and volunteers to fight it, but it was still raging last night.

A fire which swept Keerena district, near Leongatha, destroyed grass, fenc-ing and outbuildings, but fighters had it under control this morning.

Large area of grass at Lara and Little River were burned and damage done to many properties. Over 1200 people with fire fighting equipment

fought the fires, but more than 1500 acres of crops were destroyed.

Grassland adjacent to the Melbourne Geelong road caught alight, and the fire reached the outbuilding of the Corio Shire Hotel. Damage to the hotel is estimated at £1000.

A fire north of Templestowe burned a large area of grass and later jumped the river and threatened some houses.

Ten houses were destroyed and others damaged at Gisborne by a fire which swept down on the township from Woodend.

Miss Bertha Woollert (52), of Conan-galt P.O., near Gisborne, received severe burns, and late last night- was admitted to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a critical condition.

100 HOUSES BURNED

Sweeping through a large area of Black Rock and Beaumaris, the most destructive bayside fire on record destroyed about 100 houses, many of them being valuable homes in Beach Road, facing the sea. Many others were seriously damag-ed. Total damage Is expected to exceed £100,000.

Details of the losses will not he known until a complete check is made to-day. Up to a late hour last night fire officers were still trying to collate a list of de-stroyed and damaged property.

The fire broke out at 11 a.m. at the back of the golf links at Cheltenham, and swept rapidly through scrub and ti-tree.

House after house was destroyed, and hundreds of women and children were forced to seek safety on the beaches.

Rickett's Point resembled a huge evacu-ation camp. There were many weeping women and children who had not been able to save any of their belongings Others who had brought household goods with them put them into rowing boats.

Many residents carried their furniture into gardens and lawns only to see the flames sweep down und destroy it.

The fire was finally checked on the out-skirts of Mentone at 5 p.m. when the blaze had practically burnt itself out. Thousands of fire lighters, including resi-dents, soldiers, A.R.P. personnel and every available metropolitan brigade, tried

to stem the advance of the flames. Water pressure was poor, and dense black smoke hampered the fighters.

CAMPED ON BEACHES

All telophone and electric light wires were down, and last night the area was in darkness. Many homeless resi-dents camped all night on the beaches.

In spite of the seriousness of the fire only a few people were hurt, although sev-eral received attention for minor burns.

In addition to residences many week-end homes belonging to servicemen were destroyed. Three times the Beaumaris Hotel was endangered, but the fire even-tually skirted the hotel and destroyed the dwellings on either side.

Five houses were destroyed and five others damaged in Pascoe street. Pascoe Vale, by a grass fire which started at Somerton, near Campbellfield, and burned 1000 acres. It raced through Glenroy and threatened to envelop Broadmeadows camp. Metropolitan brigades, assisted by hundreds of soldiers and A.R.P. personnel had the fire under control at 5 p.m.

The camp was saved, but Glenroy golf links, except the clubhouse, was burned out.