Paddock blaze threat to homes

HOSING DOWN: With the fire contained, a fireman dampens down hot spots along the fence line.

Wairarapa firefighters were out in force yesterday battling a grass fire that threatened to ignite nearby houses.

The fire was caused by a spark from a mower topping a paddock at Waihakeke, near Carterton.

Firemen from Masterton, Carterton and Greytown joined two rural fire units in the struggle to contain the blaze and an Amalgamated Helicopter was summoned to drop water and fire retardant from a monsoon bucket.

The fire in the tinder dry grass was aided by a blustery north-westerly wind that fanned the flames and caused the fire to also take hold in tree stumps.

Principal Rural Fire Officer Phill Wishnowsky said the alarm was raised at 12.54pm and the priority for fire crews had been to protect a wooden framed house and a cottage perilously close to the blaze, and other buildings further back.

Because so many crews from Wairarapa were involved in fighting the fire, units from Rimutaka and Trentham were called in to cover at Masterton and Carterton fire stations.

Firemen had the blaze surrounded within a relatively short time as the flames burnt all grass cover on a 1ha-area and scorched several trees, including a mature oak.

The burning stumps on the perimeter of the burnt area were targeted by the helicopter and monsoon bucket.

Water for firefighting was drawn from a dam and a tanker used to replenish the monsoon bucket was refilled from another nearby source.

Within an hour the blaze had been contained but firefighters were expected to be on hand for much longer to ensure all hot spots were extinguished.

The fierce heat that has heralded the arrival of summer in Wairarapa has quickly sucked moisture from the soil causing unirrigated farming areas to quickly brown off, and weather forecasters are not expected much relief from the hot weather in the short or medium term.