Tinder-dry conditions in Far North as car fire spreads to bush in Ōmāpere
28 February 2022
Published by: https://www.stuff.co.nz
NEW ZEALAND – The tinder-dry conditions in the Far North were demonstrated overnight when a car fire set surrounding bush on fire. The blaze in the Hokianga town of Ōmāpere started about 10pm on Saturday, Fire and Emergency shift manager Kaisey Cook said.
The car fire quickly spread to the nearby bush, covering an area of about three rugby fields, or 100m by 200m, she said. Five volunteer fire crews were required to control the blaze, Cook said.
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The Waiharara fire, which started on December 18, is impacting the rare species living in Kaimaumau scientific reserve, explains Department of Conservation’s Aroha Hughes.(Video first published January 7.)
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Firefighters are set to return to the scene on Sunday morning, to make sure all hot spots are extinguished, she said. Meanwhile, a fire investigator is looking into what started a house fire in the Far North town of Moerewa on Saturday. The fire in the unoccupied house started at about 2.20pm, and was well involved when fire crews arrived, Cook said.
It took 90 minutes for firefighters to control the blaze, and the house was extensively damaged, she said.
The two fires are the latest in a series of serious fires in the Far North this summer, which has been the worst season for fires in Northland for many decades. The largest fire, in Waiharara, is being left to burn through peat and swamp, more than two months after it started.
Weary firefighters are reminding residents that fires are banned in the top of the north and restricted to permit-only elsewhere in Northland. Fire and Emergency Far North area manager Wipari Henwood said communities should also have an escape plan, and houses should have a 20m clear space around their home to make them defendable. Whether it’s a tsunami threat, flooding or the impact of Covid-19 lockdowns, Stuff is committed to bringing you the latest up-to-date and accurate information in Northland.
