The Ahipara fire from 90 Mile Beach. Photo / Paul Sutton
The Ahipara fire from 90 Mile Beach. Photo / Paul Sutton
A massive wildfire was last night raging in the hills above Ahipara forcing the evacuation of multiple homes just hours before a total fire ban was due to come into force across Northland.
The alarm was raised about 5.45pm yesterday with the Ahipara and Kaitaia brigades the first to respond,backed up by four helicopters using monsoon buckets.
The Ahipara fire from 90 Mile Beach. Photo / Paul Sutton
The fire was in the Gumfields Historic Reserve immediately above the west coast settlement which is currently packed with holidaymakers.
Fire appliances were also on their way from Mangonui, Kohukohu, Houhora, Kaikohe, Kerikeri and Paihia.
Details were still sketchy at edition time last night but by 7.30pm Reef View Rd had been evacuated and people had been escorted to safety from Tasman Heights Drive.
Foreshore Rd was closed to traffic. Police were on their way from the Bay of Islands to help with evacuations.
The cause was not immediately known.
The blaze came just hours after fire authorities decided to impose a total fire ban across Northland due to a spate of serious fires and ''ridiculous'' behaviour by people ignoring the soaring risk.
Ahipara is, however, subject to year-round fire restrictions.
Earlier, on Monday evening, a fire in Waipapa threatened at least one house and took three helicopters using monsoon buckets several hours to bring under control, while on Tuesday morning another chopper raced to the remote Parengarenga Harbour, near Cape Reinga, to tackle a blaze in tinder-dry scrub just two days after another fire in the same area.
On Sunday a wildfire threatening homes near Waipū Caves was fought by a helicopter and seven appliances from four brigades. It was started by a ride-on mower and fanned by strong winds.
A fire which started in a bamboo shelter belt near Waipapa on Monday afternoon took three helicopters several hours to put out. Photo / Jackie Sanders
Northland principal rural fire officer Myles Taylor said as of today all of Northland was in a prohibited fire season, which means a ban on virtually all outdoor fires.
''The fire danger has reached our trigger points and people just aren't adhering to the rules. So from today any smoke you see is from an illegal fire and you should dial 111.''
A series of wildfires in recent days was overwhelming Northland's firefighting resources.
''People have to stop lighting fires. It's just ridiculous.''
Fire restrictions, which meant a permit was required for any fire, were imposed just two weeks ago. This summer's total ban comes two weeks earlier than last year's and a full month before the 2018-19 fire ban.
Fireworks have been banned in high-risk areas such as Ahipara and the Karikari Peninsula since the beginning of summer.
Fireworks have been banned in high-risk areas such as Ahipara and the Karikari Peninsula since the beginning of summer. Photo / Peter de Graaf
The cause of the Waipapa fire was initially reported as a spark from a lawnmower igniting grass. However, fire authorities were yesterday investigating allegations it was started by a flamethrower being used on weeds.
Kerikeri fire chief Les Wasson said two houses on Waipapa West Rd were threatened with flames ''getting pretty close'' to one of them.
It was fought by three Kerikeri appliances along with a Kaikohe rural fire crew and three helicopters.
''It was just escalating. We were getting spot fires across the creek in dry grass.''
The blaze was handed over to rural firefighters around dusk but a flare-up around 12.30am yesterday saw the Kerikeri brigade called out again.
In the morning contractors used heavy machinery to cut a series of fire breaks.
A fire which started in a bamboo shelter belt near Waipapa on Monday afternoon took three helicopters several hours to put out. Photo / Jackie Sanders
Neighbour Jackie Sanders was shocked by how quickly the fire spread.
It started within a 5m section of tall bamboo but within minutes the entire shelter belt, which was at least 150m long, was burning fiercely.
''It just went 'whoosh'. It was scary when we saw how close it was to our neighbour's house. Now I can imagine how terrifying it would be in an Australian bushfire.''
Sanders said it was lucky the wind was blowing the embers away from houses and a long row of casuarina and totara trees.
''It would've been a different story if it was blowing in the other direction.''
Neighbours rushed to protect the closest house with garden hoses, and look after the elderly resident, until firefighters arrived.
The brigade pumped water from another neighbour's pool and a creek while it appeared the choppers were taking water from nearby Lake Manuwai.
