Old news from Armidale and New England

Saturday 9 November 1940, The Sydney Morning Herald

“Rain Only Hope.”

ARMIDALE, Friday.

Bushfires are menacing the 2,000 acre Styx State forest. Only substantial rain will save the timber, according to Mr. B. R. Lawman, forestry officer at Armidale, who returned to-day after spending two days in the forest.

Mr. Lawman said that small fires were burning over a wide stretch of unimproved timber country in the lower Styx River falls area. They would do great damage if they reached the forest. It had taken 20 years to improve the 2.000 acres, but the splendid stand of timber was too young to withstand a severe fire.

Rain would have to be substantial to extinguish the fires, he said, because recently 83 points fell in one night, but next morning a fire broke out. It was extinguished by the forest patrol.