US billionaire Tony Malkin (inset) set off fireworks that are believed to have caused this blaze near Arrowtown. Photo / Supplied/ Getty Images
US billionaire Tony Malkin (inset) set off fireworks that are believed to have caused this blaze near Arrowtown. Photo / Supplied/ Getty Images
People were reportedly spotted leaving a United States billionaire’s property in a black Range Rover just moments after a controversial New Year’s Eve pyrotechnics display allegedly started a large hillside scrub fire.
The fireworks plan of New York-based property tycoon Tony Malkin - who is the chief executive of EmpireState Realty Trust which owns the landmark New York skyscraper - had already upset neighbours of his Dalefield property outside Queenstown.
But soon after the extravagant, 14-minute commercial-grade light show began at midnight, three separate fires, which Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) believes were sparked by fireworks, took hold, lighting up the skies.
Several neighbours who were watching the display closely with fears for their animals, believe one sizeable blaze was started by the display.
Fenz yesterday said there were three separate fires on steep terrain which spanned just under 0.5 hectares of land in Dalefield near Arrowtown.
All three fires were caused by fireworks, Fenz said, and were contained about 2.30am.
Neighbours and other locals, who had launched a petition against the fireworks over animal welfare and fire concerns, watched in horror as the fires took hold.
One local woman told the Herald how her family had been observing the display keenly from Lower Shotover Rd when things took a worrying turn.
Her son ventured towards Malkin’s well-gated and secured $20 million property when he saw a black Range Rover drive out.
Last night's blaze as seen from a neighbour's property. Photo / Supplied
It was soon after the fire broke out, about 12.15am-12.20am, they estimate, while police and fire engines were also en route.
“There was someone on the gate and she was radioing, saying, ‘Get them out, get them out’,” the local woman said.
“Whether they had visitors there, it could have been them. But you wouldn’t hang around – they certainly wouldn’t have stayed in the house for the night, [the fire] was so close and it was pretty smoky around the valley.
“So where [Malkin] is now, I don’t know.”
The woman said Malkin had not offered an apology and for a lot of people in the area, that was not acceptable.
“He’s possibly even left the country, who knows.”
A Malkin family spokeswoman today denied it was the property owner himself who was seen leaving during the fire.
Tony Malkin is the CEO of Empire Realty Trust which owns the landmark Empire State Building in New York. Photo / File
The fires spread across just under 0.5 hectares of land and were contained by volunteer firefighters about 2.30am.
A specialist fire investigator was at the scene yesterday.
Locals are angry that they have not received any communication from Malkin or had any apology since the drama.
Malkin’s spokeswoman yesterday released a one-sentence statement which said: “We are deeply grateful for the expert work of Fenz and the police”.
Asked what advice they would have for property owners in such a situation, Fenz said today: “Every incident is different. In a fire, people should listen to emergency services’ instructions and follow any advice given”.
Fenz had approved a safety plan for the private display, and neighbours had been advised to speak to the Ministry for Primary Industries and the SPCA.
Liz Park, who leases a block of land at Dalefield for her daughter’s retired eventing horse, yesterday told the Otago Daily Times that Fenz deserved a “right royal bollocking” for allowing the fireworks to go ahead.
Another neighbour spoken to by the Herald said she felt the fires were completely avoidable and raised other questions.
“There’s a bigger story here of someone who has money and seeming to be able to do whatever they want,” he said.
“It’s just not very neighbourly what they have done. We highlighted that at the start.”
Steve Turek, Fenz national manager readiness and recovery, yesterday responded to criticism from locals about their decision to allow the pyrotechnics display to go ahead.
“Certification for pyrotechnic displays on private land is issued by an independent compliance certifier under the WorkSafe regime. Fire and Emergency provides advice on the safety plan for such events,” he told the Herald.
“In this case, our staff reviewed the safety plan for the event and agreed to it. The Dalefield area was not in a restricted fire season on New Year’s Eve as the fire indices did not meet the threshold for imposing restrictions.”
Queenstown, Wanaka and other idyllic Central Otago spots have become a new playground for super-wealthy Americans in recent years.
Controversial US billionaire and Trump donor Peter Thiel has snapped up a $13.5 million lifestyle block on the shores of Lake Wanaka.
Former NBC journalist Matt Lauer, who lost his job as one of the world’s highest-paid news anchors after a complaint of “inappropriate sexual behaviour in the workplace”, owns a similarly-priced mega property at nearby Lake Hawea.
