Northern Advocate
  • Northern Advocate home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Sport
  • Property
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Sport
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings

Locations

  • Far North
  • Kaitaia
  • Kaikohe
  • Bay of Islands
  • Whangārei
  • Kaipara
  • Mangawhai
  • Dargaville

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whangārei
  • Dargaville

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Northern Advocate

Lusi fails to deliver knockout blow to blaze

By Peter de Graaf
Northern Advocate·
18 Mar, 2014 06:50 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Firefighters hoped Cyclone Lusi would douse the biggest blaze of 2013-2014 so far.

Firefighters hoped Cyclone Lusi would douse the biggest blaze of 2013-2014 so far.

Even a tropical cyclone was not enough to put out a huge fire burning in the Far North since Thursday last week.

Firefighters were praying Cyclone Lusi would douse a 30ha scrub fire at Taheke Rd - the biggest blaze of the 2013-14 season so far - but the storm dropped only 24mm of rain on South Hokianga.

At its height on Thursday afternoon four helicopters equipped with monsoon buckets, backed by ground crews from Kaikohe and Kerikeri, battled to stop the flames spreading to houses and a nearby pine forest.

Principal rural fire officer Myles Taylor said the latest fire - in the same area as another huge blaze four years ago - was the result of an "extraordinary level of stupidity" and left him "unbelievably annoyed".

It came just two days after Mr Taylor further notched up fire restrictions and issued a stern warning that every person who lit a fire would be made to pay the costs of putting it out.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"This just shows people are continuing to ignore fire conditions," he fumed.

Investigators were still looking into the cause.

Two crews remained at the scene yesterday and it was unclear how long they would have to stay, Mr Taylor said. Hotspots were still bursting into flame on Sunday. Mr Taylor said it would take only a few days of sun and wind to return the Far North to pre-Lusi fire danger levels, so there would be no let up in fire restrictions.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Northland is subject to a restricted fire season but in the Far North authorities have stopped issuing permits, effectively imposing a total fire ban.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

Northland businesses unite for CCTV initiative to combat crime

Northern Advocate

Two charged with neglect 10 years after 4yo's death in Kaikohe

Northern Advocate

Major water leak forces school closure for urgent repairs


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northland businesses unite for CCTV initiative to combat crime
Northern Advocate

Northland businesses unite for CCTV initiative to combat crime

Business groups in the Far North are uniting to enhance community safety.

17 Jul 04:00 AM
Two charged with neglect 10 years after 4yo's death in Kaikohe
Northern Advocate

Two charged with neglect 10 years after 4yo's death in Kaikohe

17 Jul 02:17 AM
Major water leak forces school closure for urgent repairs
Northern Advocate

Major water leak forces school closure for urgent repairs

17 Jul 01:26 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • The Northern Advocate e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Northern Advocate
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The Northern Advocate
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP