Kūaotunu fire: Blaze cut off daytrippers as crews in Coromandel battle flames

A scrub fire cut off carloads of day trippers in two isolated Coromandel bays this afternoon, leaving them fearing they would have to spend the night in the cold without food or water.

Firefighters have been scrambling to control a scrub fire in Kūaotunu that has spread over 18ha.

There were two helicopters and seven fire engines on the scene, a spokeswoman for Fire and Emergency NZ said. The helicopters were due to be grounded at 8.30pm.

The fire was burning through pine slash and regrowth, she said.

Fire crews battling the blaze. Photo / Chris Larcombe

A fire is burning on Black Jack Road in Coromandel. Photo / Emily Clarke

Daytrippers feared getting trapped

Tarah Spyve told the Herald she could not drive back along Black Jack Rd because of the fire. She later said firefighters began allowing cars through five at a time about 8.30pm.

While Spyve was trapped, she said there was no shop to buy food from.

A local allowed the strandees into their home to fill up their water bottles, she said.

A Fire and Emergency NZ spokeswoman said the fire service would be closing Black Jack Rd overnight. She said Fire and Emergency was not aware of anyone being trapped by the road closure.

A witness told the Herald he could see flames atop the hills between Kūaotunu and Otama Beach. Photo / Connor Le Vert

Police were also unaware of reports of people being trapped and were not involved in responding to the blaze, a spokeswoman said.

A witness told the Herald he could see flames atop the hills between Kūaotunu and Ōtama Beach. He described “huge smoke” billowing from the fire.

He said motorists were being stopped from driving down Black Jack Rd.

A holidaymaker in the area could see the flames and smoke while he was out on the water.

Photo / Leanne Davies

“It’s like a volcano,” Connor Le Vert told the Herald.

Le Vert described the smoke as being a yellow colour and said he could see bright red flames on the top of the hill.

“We can see smoke coming out. There’s a tonne of smoke coming off,” Le Vert said.

“We could see flames, bright red flames at the top of the hill.“We saw firefighters climbing up the hill.”