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Firefighters say smoke near Christchurch’s Port Hills was coming from controlled burnoffs in the wider area, not on the hills themselves.
More than 100 houses were evacuated after a fire on Christchurch’s Port Hills last month. One woman lost her “whole life” after her container home wasdestroyed.
Police earlier said the fire was being treated as unexplained.
Today Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) posted on Facebook that it was investigating reports of smoke on the Port Hills. Several crews had been sent to the area and in an update, Fenz said the crews had not found any signs of active fire on the hills.
“We believe the smoke to be from controlled burnoffs in the wider area (not on the Port Hills themselves, where there is a total fire ban in place).
“Thanks to everyone who was vigilant and called 111 this afternoon. It’s the right thing to do. We are always ready to respond.”
Last month's fire in Christchurch's Port Hills burned for days. Photo / George Heard
Senior Sergeant Roy Appley earlier said several residents had come to the police base and advised of “suspicious activity” they had seen before and during the first of February’s fires in the hills.
Senior Sergeant Roy Appley and Fenz incident controller Steve Kennedy giving an update to media during last month's Port Hills fires. Photo / Jaime Cunningham
“So our message to communities [is], if you see something happening in your community and you’re not sure about it or your gut feeling tells you that’s not right, it probably isn’t.
“While I can’t absolutely say about the cause of the fire yet, what we do say is that if you’ve got suspicions about some activity that you’re concerned about, please report it to the police as soon as possible, particularly any video footage of persons,” Appley said.
Police earlier appealed for photos and videos of the Port Hills fire in its early stages.
“We’d like to hear from anyone with photos or videos of the Port Hills between 1.30pm and 5pm on February 13.”
A Fenz spokesperson said there was an “immediate response” to the request, with 337 people providing images and footage.
“Many people also included a description of what they saw at the time, and this has also been very helpful.”
A member of the public films as February's Port Hills fire burns away in the background. Photo / Joe Allison
Worsley Rd resident Anna Spark earlier spoke to the Herald about losing her home.
Anna Spark lost her home in the Port Hills fire. She was living on family land in a shipping container. Photo / Joe Allison
“I’m still a bit in shock. A bit of panic, I’m without a home right now but I kind of trust people are going to help me, I’ve got my family around me. I’m not going to be homeless,” Spark said.
