“There’s a lot of smoke coming off the burning areas, and we advise people to keep car doors and windows shut if they have to drive near the area.”
Tinworth said residents with a roof water supply should disconnect the pipe to the tank if there was a lot of ash and debris on their roof.
Six helicopters have been working together to control the slow burning scrub fire near Meremere. Photo / Maryana Garcia
The Whangamarino wetland is a Department of Conservation area of environmental significance.
“We’re working really hard to contain it as quickly as possible, but we are expecting it to take another day or so to bring it under control,” Tinworth said.
“This is a really beautiful part of the country with considerable environmental value, and we’re doing our best to prevent it from being destroyed.”
Water for the fire trucks and helicopter buckets was temporarily sourced from reticulated supply but was now being drawn from a farm pond.
Fire investigators were at the site on Tuesday and the origin and cause of the fire were yet to be confirmed.
Firefighters advise Rocket Lab and Orica facilities as smoke affects Maramarua
Tinworth said Fenz was working with businesses, including a Rocket Lab test facility, to make sure they had plans in place for removing any dangerous material if the fire got too close to those locations.
“We have been advised by Fenz that the fire does not pose a threat to our operations currently.
“The wind is blowing in the opposite direction to our site at this stage and that’s not expected to change.
Six helicopters have been working together to control the slow burning scrub fire near Meremere. Photo / Maryana Garcia
“We’ll continue to follow the advice of Fenz as they work to extinguish the blaze.”
According to Rocket Lab’s website, the company’s Waikato location is “home to Rutherford engine testing and supports other [research and development] propulsion and technology development”.
Orica, a commercial explosives and blasting solutions company, also has facilities in the area.
She said she had to pick up her grandson from school after midday because of the smoke.
”It’s been huge. It is huge.”
Another resident said the fire had grown overnight.
”The sky was bright orange,” she said. ”It just looks out of control.”
A 20ha scrub fire is burning swampland in North Waikato. Photo / Malisha Kumar
The area around Island Block Rd has a low fire danger rating, according to the Fenz website. At present, the lighting of fires in the area is allowed without a permit.
Police said Fenz had notified them of the fire about 2.40pm yesterday, but police assistance was not required.
Maryana Garcia is a Hamilton-based reporter covering breaking news in Waikato. She previously wrote for the Rotorua Daily Post and Bay of Plenty Times.
