SIXTY YEARS AGO Tuesday May 5, 1964
plantations, which could have proved disastrous – was started, it is thought, by a broken bottle acting as a magnifying glass; and Monday’s fire at Creachan, west of Tarbert, probably started when the grass was ignited by a carelessly-discarded cigarette.
Monday’s outbreak near Tarbert was described by Mr Jack Willerton, fire officer at Campbeltown, as one of the most serious forest fires in the area for many years.
Six fire appliances attended the blaze – from Arrochar, Oban, Campbeltown, Tarbert and Inveraray – and it took the firemen, with help from local forestry workers, over 10 hours to bring it under control.
The fire badly damaged an area of young woodland owned by the Scottish Woodland Owners’ Association and their staff have been keeping a constant watch on the area to ensure that the fire does not start again, as they sometimes can.
Mr Willerton said that the blaze was probably started by a carelessly-discarded cigarette, and he warned everyone who might be out and about to take extra care during the hot weather.
A less obvious, but no less dangerous, cause has been blamed for Saturday’s outbreak at Lussa.
Mr Willerton said that it appeared that this fire had been started by a piece of discarded broken glass acting as a magnifying glass, concentrating the sun’s strong rays and setting the tinder-dry grass alight.
This fire was less serious, being contained on a patch of grass, but Mr Willerton said that it was only the quick response of the fire brigade which enabled the outbreak to be contained before it spread to a nearby area of woodland.
Mr Willerton’s calls for increased vigilance were echoed by Strathclyde Assistant Firemaster
Hugh Hunter, who is in charge of fire prevention throughout the region.
He said that, over the three days at the end of last week, Strathclyde Fire Brigade attended 300 such outbreaks, or an average of one every 14 minutes.
Reynard a menace in Mid Argyll
Since 1942, the formidable total of 7,174 foxes and cubs have been killed in the area, the annual general meeting of Mid Argyll Fox Hunting
Association was told at Lochgilphead on April 25, when the president, Mr Matthew H. Craig, was in the chair.
The members were told that last year their fox-hunter accounted for 163 foxes and 96 cubs, with brush money being paid for 57 foxes and 26 cubs, making a kill of 220 foxes and 122 cubs – a total of 342 for the year.
In addition, the fox-hunter killed 13 wild cats and 208 hooded crows.
Urging farmers to support the association in its work, Mr Craig, who was reappointed president, said there was no evidence of decline in the number of foxes in the area.
Expressing the hope that farmers not already in membership would come forward and bear their share of the upkeep of the association, Mr Craig said that the whole agricultural community derived considerable benefit.
Office-bearers were appointed as follows: President, Mr Matthew H Craig, Barr; vice-president, Mr Allan M MacKenzie, Ormsary; secretary and treasurer, Mr Dan A Macinnes; committee, Messrs Logan Richmond, Torran; Neil McNeill, Dunamuck; James M McNair, Ashfield; Duncan Lamont, Knock; D J D Dixon, Kilbride; Hugh MacArthur, Kilmory: Lachlan L Campbell, Daltote; and Mr George Dey (representing the Forestry Commission).
Payment of brush money at 10s per fox and 5s per cub will continue, with the levy on subscribers provisionally fixed at 27s per 100 sheep.