The Mangawhai Heads fire on Monday afternoon covered an area of 40m by 40m but houses were not in danger, says Mangawhai Volunteer Fire Brigade chief fire officer Gram Kerrigan. Photo / Gary Loughnan
The Mangawhai Heads fire on Monday afternoon covered an area of 40m by 40m but houses were not in danger, says Mangawhai Volunteer Fire Brigade chief fire officer Gram Kerrigan. Photo / Gary Loughnan
A dramatic vegetation fire in the Northland beach town of Mangawhai is being treated as suspicious.
The Monday-evening fire was one of seven in Northland this week, with firefighters urging caution and common sense with fire in the hot weather.
Seven fire engines were needed to control the Mangawhai Headsblaze, which started about 5.30pm.
Mangawhai Volunteer Fire Brigade chief fire officer Gram Kerrigan said the fire on Robert St, near Mangawhai Estuary, could be seen by a number of residents who spotted the flames.
On arrival, crews found tea tree and undergrowth ablaze, covering an area of 40m by 40m.
Volunteer crews from Mangawhai, Kaiwaka, Waipu and Paparoa were able to contain the fire with low-pressure hoses, he said.
Kerrigan said while the fire had the potential to spread on the bank, nearby houses were never in any danger as they all had good “defendable zones”, where they were surrounded by grass rather than scrub.
The fire was contained by 6.20pm and all crews left by 7.30pm, with the volunteer crews doing a great job, Kerrigan said.
Fire investigator Greg Hart said the fire appeared to have started by suspicious circumstances and details were passed on to police on Tuesday for further investigation.
But the Mangawhai Heads fire was just one of seven in Northland on Monday and Tuesday.
In the Far North, a vegetation fire in Pukenui on Monday afternoon also reached 40m by 40m.
Volunteer fire crews from Houhora and Kaitāia arrived at 2.50pm and took about 90 minutes to control the blaze.
The Mangawhai Heads fire was one of several in Northland this week. Photo / Gary Loughnan
Meanwhile, a fire in Panguru, north Hokianga, took place at the site of an old shed.
Volunteer firefighters from Broadwood, Kohukohu, Kaitāia and Ahipara were dispatched, arriving about 3pm on Monday. They controlled the fire and left the scene about 6.30pm.
Four fire trucks were needed to control a gorse fire in Kaikohe, also on Monday afternoon.
Fire and Emergency was called about 4.30pm, with volunteer crews from Kaikohe, Ōkaihau and Kawakawa taking 90 minutes to control the fire.
But there was no rest for the volunteer crews, with a grass fire in Ōkaihau reaching 20m by 20m.
Five fire crews from Ōkaihau and Kerikeri were dispatched at 5.25pm, with crews on scene for an hour.
Later on Monday evening, there was a vegetation fire in Awarua. Three trucks from Kaikohe arrived at 8.20pm and were on the scene for an hour.
On Tuesday, a rubbish fire ended up getting out of control in Waipapa. Crews from Kerikeri were dispatched about 12.45pm, extinguishing a 10m by 10m blaze.
Kerrigan encouraged everyone in Northland to think about fire safety, especially in the very hot weather.
“It may look green but it’s very dry underneath.”
He encouraged people to check if fires are safe to light by going to the CheckItsAlright.nz website, using common sense, having water on standby and having a defendable zone around houses.
Denise Piper is a news reporter for the Northern Advocate, focusing on health and business. She has more than 20 years in journalism and is passionate about covering stories that make a difference.
