Bago Forest Fire

Albury Banner and Wodonga Express

20 April 1923

Mr. W. de Beuzeville, who was attending to forestry duties at Holbrook, got word that a fire was raging in the Bago forest, and he went post haste in his car to the scene of the conflagration, finding that it was fast approaching the large ash nursery in the locality, where the trees are now of an average height of about 20 feet. He employed 20 men to assist in battling with the flames, but their efforts were futile, as the streamers of blazing bark from tall ash trees were blown in all directions, firing the country in different parts.

The plan then adopted was to chip a trail about two feet wide, which was carried along for a distance of six miles, to act as a fire-break, and fires were started on the inner side and kept going until the approaching blaze was met, with the result that it was quenched before getting into the nursery.

Mr. de Beuzeville and his assistants put in Good Friday and the Easter, holidays fighting the fire, which it is believed, had been purposely started by some miscreant. About 40,000 acres of grass country was destroyed, and a great number of fine trees within the area will probably die from the scorching they got.