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

We know man behind Far North blaze - fire chief

By Peter de Graaf
Northern Advocate·
14 Dec, 2015 07:20 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 battle the blaze in a paddock beside SH12.

Firefighters battle the blaze in a paddock beside SH12.

Police and fire bosses say they know who started Sunday's Far North fire and how - but they're keeping mum until they decide what action to take against him.

The blaze, in scrub and pine forest between Ngawha and Kaikohe, forced the evacuation of at least a dozen homes and closed State Highway 12 for much of the day. Several houses were threatened but none damaged.

Four helicopters and firefighters from across the Mid North fought the blaze.

Read more: Fire in scrub threatens homes (+video)

Northern principal rural fire officer Myles Taylor said police had found "significant evidence" identifying the person responsible for the fire and the means of ignition.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

He would not reveal more until the fire authority had decided what form of enforcement action to take. The authority was "extremely grateful" for the diligence shown by police, he said. Meanwhile, yesterday's cloud, lower temperatures and little wind had worked in firefighters' favour.

A rural fire crew from Rawhiti stayed on Sunday night and was replaced by two forestry crews yesterday. One flare-up late on Sunday was quickly put out by a chopper which was still in the area.

Residents of the small settlement beside SH12 told the Northern Advocate of hearing a noise like a large skyrocket shortly before the fire started. One man said he had been accused of firing a flare into the scrub.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Discover more

Fire in scrub threatens homes (+video)

13 Dec 09:00 PM

Man charged over blaze

21 Dec 09:00 PM

Wharekai lost to flames

28 Dec 06:30 PM
Save

    Share this article

Latest from Northern Advocate

Northern Advocate

'No tolerance': Man charged after police dog reportedly injured during traffic stop

Northern Advocate

Holiday park murder: Woman admits killing one woman, assaulting another

Northern Advocate

'Seal Silly Season': Fur seal makes rare appearance on popular beach


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Northern Advocate

'No tolerance': Man charged after police dog reportedly injured during traffic stop
Northern Advocate

'No tolerance': Man charged after police dog reportedly injured during traffic stop

A police dog sustained a scratch to the eye during an alleged assault on Sunday.

21 Jul 05:00 AM
Holiday park murder: Woman admits killing one woman, assaulting another
Northern Advocate

Holiday park murder: Woman admits killing one woman, assaulting another

21 Jul 02:36 AM
'Seal Silly Season': Fur seal makes rare appearance on popular beach
Northern Advocate

'Seal Silly Season': Fur seal makes rare appearance on popular beach

21 Jul 01:39 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