Waipoua River fire: Eight helicopters operating, evacuated residents face nail-biting wait

Smoke billows from a scrub fire in the Waipoua Forest. Photo / Supplied Omapere Volunteer Fire Brigade

Fire and Emergency crews are working to protect about 20 homes threatened by a 70-hectare fire in Northland.

Incident controller Corey Matchitt said eight helicopters will be in operation today, alongside five heavy machinery units and 50 firefighters on the ground.

The aim was to keep on top of the fire from the air while establishing containment lines on the ground, he said.

Flames and smoke from a scrub fire in the Waipoua Forest. Photo / Supplied

“We did not lose any structures overnight, and we will continue to protect structures today.”

Matchitt said around 20 homes were evacuated on Wednesday night from the Waipoua Settlement, and a community meeting was held with evacuees this morning.

Flames and smoke from a scrub fire in the Waipoua Forest. Photo / Supplied

“It can be a very hard thing to do to leave your home when a fire is near, but doing so has meant everyone is safe.

“We will continue to do everything in our power to protect their homes,” he said.

Residents have been sent to iwi Te Roroa’s nearby Waikarā Marae, which was set up as a support centre.

Matchitt said crews were working as quickly as possible to get people back into their homes but would only happen once it was safe to do so.

Emergency services were first alerted to the blaze around 2.15pm yesterday.

The cause of the fire is still under investigation.

Matchitt said the blaze was a reminder of how quickly a fire can move in dry conditions.

As of yesterday, the fire was located roughly 6km south of Tāne Mahuta, the world’s largest surviving kauri tree.

Northland assistant fire commander Graeme Quensell told RNZ the fire was likely to be a “long-duration event”.

He said the fire - one of the largest he had seen in the region - could last up to a week.

Dargaville Intermediate School has appealed for donations of food, toiletries and clothing for evacuated whānau.

Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.