Fire crews were kept busy overnight with multiple house and vegetation fire call-outs in Canterbury and on the West Coast.
It comes as more water and fire restrictions are imposed in places across the South Island, as a lack of rain and hot temperatures continue.
Fire crews from Hokitika, Kokatahi, Cobden, Greymouth, Ross and Kumara were called to a “fully involved” house fire on Lake Kaniere Rd near Hokitika about 7.45pm Saturday, a Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) spokesperson said.
Crews worked to put out the fire in a couple of hours but were later called back when a hot spot sparked into flame again.
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In Canterbury, two vegetation fires took hold in Lincoln, in the Selwyn district, and one in Masons Flat, Hurunui.
The two in Lincoln involved dry grass and a “significant” bonfire. Both had been fully extinguished, the spokesperson said.
About 100 metres of hedge was alight with flames near the intersection of Medbury and Gilberts roads in Masons Flat just after 10pm. Crews from Hawarden extinguished the blaze in about two hours, the spokesperson said.
In Wainui, near Akaroa on Banks Peninsula, flames engulfed a two-storey house about 2am on Sunday.
Crews from Akaroa, Little River and Lincoln found the home “totally involved” in fire on arrival, the Fenz spokesperson said.
RYAN ANDERSON/Stuff
The busy night for firefighters comes after several areas in South Canterbury were moved into a restricted fire season on Friday. (File photo)
The fire was fully extinguished by 6am and a fire investigator was heading out on Sunday to determine the cause.
No-one was injured in the fires overnight, the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, a wildfire that burnt through 12 hectares of retired high country farmland and wilding pines on the Skippers Rd, near Queenstown, has been extinguished.
The fire was first reported to emergency services about 6.15pm on Thursday. Helicopter crews waterbombed the area, while ground crews worked hard to get the fire under control.
Incident controller Nic McQuillan said the last fire crew finished at 5.30pm on Saturday.
Brook Sabin/Stuff
Fire and Emergency New Zealand has imposed fire restrictions on the Ashburton high country, Mackenzie Basin high country, and Hakataramea Valley. (File photo)
“We will be monitoring the area today and tomorrow to make sure no further response is needed,” he said on Sunday.
The busy period for firefighters comes after several areas in South Canterbury were moved into a restricted fire season on Friday, meaning a permit was required to light outdoor fires.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand has imposed restrictions on the Ashburton high country, Mackenzie Basin high country, and Hakataramea Valley.
There is already a complete ban on setting off fireworks in the whole of the Mackenzie Basin, while there is a permanent restricted fire season in the Geraldine Forest Zone, Waimate Forest Zone and on all public conservation land.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand
National fire risk management adviser Peter Gallagher discusses fire safety. (First published June 22, 2021)
Otago’s Upper Waitaki zone moved to a prohibited fire season at 8am on Friday, meaning a total ban on outdoor fires and the suspension of all previously granted fire permits.
Community risk manager James Knapp said the “long history of large fires in recent years” showed how careful everyone needed to be.
“It only takes one spark to cause a wildfire.”
On Wednesday, Fenz community risk manager Dean Harker said North Canterbury was not at the threshold for fire restrictions yet, but parts of Selwyn, Waimakariri and Christchurch were “getting close”.
All of the West Coast was in a restricted fire season, and on Thursday all fire permits were suspended in the Grey district due to an ongoing water shortage.
GEORGE HEARD/STUFF
Grey district residents are having to conserve water as a lack of rain has left local supplies depleted.
Fenz West Coast district manager Myles Taylor said fighting vegetation fires used large amounts of water, which would place additional pressure on local water supplies that were already depleted.
Two additional water tankers had been moved to Greymouth as a precaution and Fenz was looking at further proactive steps.
“We would like people to help us by being very careful about any activities that could spark a fire, and not to light any outdoor fires as conditions are very dry.”
No new permits would be issued until there had been significant rainfall.
The Grey District Council warned residents last week of possible water shutdowns if they did not conserve more water.
./Stuff
The highest level water restrictions are in place for Arrowtown, meaning people cannot use sprinklers or hoses. (File photo)
Rain on Friday was a “welcome relief”, but not enough to make a difference to the area’s water supply, it said.
“We all till need to keep conserving water wherever possible.”
On Saturday, the Queenstown Lakes District Council announced an urgent move to level three water restrictions for the Arrowtown area, banning all outdoor watering immediately.
“The QLDC Infrastructure team has recorded a significant spike in demand from the Arrowtown area … and the reservoir is now at under 50% capacity,” it said.
The rest of the district remained at level one restrictions (outdoor watering only between 12am and 6am).
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