Firefighters kept busy at weekend

Ron Gorter checks for hot spots at Piha. Picture / Richard Robinson

A number of large scrub fires throughout the country kept firefighters and helicopters with monsoon buckets busy during the weekend.

At Piha, west of Auckland, a blaze that broke out on Saturday afternoon reignited yesterday, and in the Far North, firefighters spent two days battling 20ha of burning scrub.

Further south, firefighters battled blazes in Taupo, Lower Hutt, Petone and Christchurch.

The Piha blaze started about 4.30pm on Saturday, possibly near a lookout on the Mercer Bay Loop track, and burned a 600sq m area of flax and native bush on steep cliff-faces.

Waitarua volunteer fire brigade station officer Karl Nuttall said the steep cliffs and gullies above the sea made access to the fire difficult.

The firefighters' main concern was preventing the flames from going inland and threatening homes.

By Saturday night the fire was believed to have been extinguished but Mr Nuttall said crews returned yesterday morning to find several hot stops starting to flare up.

Yesterday, two helicopters with monsoon buckets targeted the hotspots on the steep gullies while firefighters battled the blaze from below.

Mr Nuttall said the fire, which was about 2km long at one stage, appeared to be out last night. But crews would return at 6am this morning to ensure there were no further flareups.

In the Far North, firefighters believed they had a blaze in Mangonui, which started at 4pm on Saturday, under control last night. On Saturday night, several homes were evacuated as firefighters battled the spreading flames.

Yesterday, three helicopters and four appliances were still at the scene but residents were allowed back in their homes.

The causes of both fires are not yet known.

They follow a number of large fires in Northland, including several suspicious blazes in Whangarei.

Back in Auckland, Otara firefighters contained a grass fire on Ormiston Rd yesterday. It did not threaten any other property.

Wellington police are concerned that several fires in the region could be suspicious and are appealing for witnesses.

The Christchurch fire started at 5pm on Saturday after a car crashed into a power pole in Woodend.

Arching powerlines ignited a large row of trees but firefighters were unable to act until the power had been turned off. Bystanders watched an amazing electrical display as lines exploded.

It took firefighters from 13 appliances several hours to extinguish the blaze, which also destroyed the car.