Man charged over blaze

A man has been charged over a fire which closed State Highway 12, threatened houses and forced at least a dozen families to evacuate. Photo / Peter de Graaf

A Far North man has been charged with arson in relation to a major blaze which closed a state highway, threatened homes and forced at least a dozen families to evacuate.

The December 13 fire razed about 6ha of scrub and a small area of pine forest beside State Highway 12, east of Kaikohe.

Firefighters managed to stop the flames just 10m from the most threatened home. It took two days to fully extinguish.

Police from Kaikohe and Kerikeri launched an immediate investigation and soon found what they said was strong evidence identifying how the fire started and who was responsible.

Selwyn Desmond Beckham, 24, of Mangamuka, appeared in the Kaikohe District Court on Friday charged with arson.

Court documents stated that Beckham was charged with "damaging by fire bushland, the property of persons unknown". Police are not commenting further now a charge has been laid.

Neighbours told the Advocate they heard a sound like a large skyrocket being fired shortly before the blaze started.

At the time the Far North's top rural firefighter, Myles Taylor, said the fire had been started by an act of "blatant stupidity".

Meanwhile, the Northern Rural Fire Authority has yet to decide whether to try to recover the costs of fighting the fire, estimated at more than $50,000.

The main cost is helicopters, costing about $2000 an hour to operate. Four choppers fought the blaze for close to four hours.

Heavy machinery, including a 12-tonne bulldozer, also had to be hired to cut firebreaks.