Forced out by smoke: Life on the edge of the Hawke's Bay forest fire

Fire races through trees on Tuesday. Photo / Warren Buckland

One home evacuated.

It doesn't tell the full story of what was a fire that affected many.

The Tangoio forests fire spread over as much as three and a half square kilometres on Tuesday.

The home that was evacuated on Tangoio Settlement Rd on Monday. Photo/Warren Buckland

Some who weren't evacuated by it got out anyway, to get away from the smoke.

Others had the hoses out ready to act if need be.

And holidaymakers stayed-put, worried that if they went to town they might not be able to get back if the road was closed.

Waipatiki Beach Holiday Park owner Shane Ashforth. "The campers are happy," he said. Photo / Warren Buckland

The evacuated home, cleared on Monday afternoon as a bulldozer cut a firebreak downhill and spread Firetrol retardant to stop the blaze in its tracks, was on an isolated spot off a section of Tangoio Settlement Rd between State Highway 2 at Devil's Elbow and Waipatiki Rd.

While no longer directly threatened, the home remained empty on Tuesday and the section of the road was still closed.

The firebreak was then extended along the side of the road to alleviate firefighters' greatest fear, that the blaze would cross the road and start heading towards holiday destination Waipatiki Beach about 6km away.

Waipatiki Rd resident Toni Reid got her horses out on Monday as a precaution, and then got out herself about 4am on Tuesday because of the smoke, leaving the hoses rolled-out on the driveway to protect the home if need be.

There had been earlier worries about the spread of the fire but she said: "We've been quite lucky, because it's still quite green out here."

Waipatiki Beach Holiday Park proprietor Shane Ashforth had over 150 guests accommodated and said while the effects of the fire were barely noticeable at the camp "one or two" had left.

"But the big thing was being worried about going to Napier and not being able to get back if the road was closed," he said. "So they stayed."

He said authorities had been good in "letting us know" what was happening, and he was able to pass on the information to the visitors.

"The campers are happy," he said.

One firefighter told Hawke's Bay Today that if the fire had crossed Tangoio Settlement Rd then it would have been difficult to stop.

"There's so much fuel there it would have been away," he said.

At one point the flames fires got to within 200 metres of the road, but firefighters achieved the aim of keeping the fire contained within the boundaries of State Highway 2 and Tangoio Settlement Rd.

On Monday night the flames were clearly seen from the Hardinge Rd, Ahuriri, beachfront in Napier, worrying some of those from the area.

Ngati Kahungunu Iwi board member Hori Reti decided he need to check on the family land, but got to the top of the first hill heading towards Waipatiki. "I didn't risk going too far over," he said.