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1 COUNTRY SECTION.
BUSH-FIRE PREVENTION.
Forests Commission's Appeal
FACTOR OF HUMAN
AGENCY.
Bush-fire prevention week was officially
opened yesterday. The Forests Com
mission in a statement issued yesterday
slated that In the last five years there
had been 500 forest fires originating
from "known or strongly suspected
vuuava, tutu «ltt| U1U Ullglll UI wnicn
was quite unknown. Whilst in a cer
tain number of cases in which fires were
attributed to human agency, they had
probably been deliberately lighted— per
haps to provide feed for cattle or to ex
pose an expected gold-bearing reef — the
majority were duo to carelessness. Fires
could, be caused by tourists, campers,
fishermen, <&c., entering a forest for the
pleasure or sport that it provided, but
carelessly discarding matches or
"smokes," lighting a "billy fire" in an
unsafe place, or by leaving it unat
tended. The commission's records in
dicated that 211 fires, or 35 per cent,
of outbreaks in a five years' period, were
caused among graziers and settlers, 110,
or- 18 per cent, were among sportsmen,
luuubu. anq campers, Willie me cause
of 10B, or approximately 18 per cent.,
lay among prospectors and miners.
Even in tho smallest outbreak there
lurked a considerable danger and prob
able disaster, for a little lire if not
quickly subdued might develop rapidly
on a "bad fire day" to one of uncon
trollable size, destroying not only our
forests, but valuable private property as
well. It had been "burning oil" that
had started the conflagration on 14th
February, 1926. On a dry hot day this
year It was possible for fires to develop
into serious proportions, and it was in
order to prevent a repetition of tho 1920
disaster that tho Forests Commission
most urgently appealed to all citizens to
prevent bush fires.
As previously announced, thousands of
posters, and circulars have been circu
lated throughout the State emphasising
the danger of fires, and the Importance
of fire prevention. Members of tho For
ests Commission arc taking part In the
broadcast talks and public addresses. To
day Mr. Gay will address the luncheon
of the Melbourne business women. On
Thursday the chairman (Mr. Galbrolth)
will address the Constitutional Club.
With regard to the letter published in
"Hie Age" yesterday from the president
of the Timber Workers' Union concern
ing the provision of "dug-outs" as a
means of providing safety for human
life in the event of fire, it was stated
that in certain cases where there were
motor roads or special clearings in the
neighborhood of saw mills, dug-outs had
not been considered necessary. The
Chairman, however, intimated that he
would make a statement on the subject
, to-day. .
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