Bushfire menace
p. 71 · Read in the full issue
in N. Caledonia
Cattle station owners on the West Coast of New Caledonia are begin ning to battle through a serious season of bushfires.
The current long drought has pro duced dry grass which rapidly bursts into flames, as reported by motorists driving to Noumea along the 35-mile highway from Tontouta Airport.
In Noumea itself, the fire brigade reports being called out 47 times in October. This included accidents involved with bottled gas installations in private homes, and a serious fire at the Noumea nickel smelting works on October 30.
Fires first began in earnest in mid- October, with an outbreak on top of Ouen Toro mountain at Anse Vata.
Army and naval personnel were called in then to protect homes, and again several days later to save the television station from a fire in another suburb on top of Mt. Coffyn.
Since then sirens have sounded almost daily in outer settlements of Noumea, where many housing estates have been threatened. Fortunately no loss of life or serious property loss have been reported.