Blaze fuels renewed call for fire cover

ENGULFED: A Kuratau house destroyed by fire last Friday was too far gone to be saved when the Turangi Fire Brigade arrived, leading to concerns about the absence of any local firefighting unit. PHOTO/MAURICE COSTELLO

A house blaze at Kuratau has led to renewed concerns among locals about the absence of any local firefighting force at the lakeside settlement.

The home of Kuratau School principal Craig McGregor and wife Prue was destroyed in the blaze last Friday.

Turangi firefighters turned out within 20 minutes but the house could not be saved, leading to questions about whether the outcome might have been different if a local volunteer fire crew had been on hand to contain the fire.

The Omori/Kuratau volunteer brigade stopped responding to 111 calls last December, following the resignation of its fire chief and the removal of its fire appliance amid controversy over alleged downsizing of firefighting equipment.

The station is now without any firefighting equipment after being classed as Code 0, meaning the Rural Fire Authority deems the brigade unable to attend emergencies.

Taupo District Council and Pumicelands Rural Fire Authority say they are actively recruiting to form a Southern Lakes Volunteer Rural Fire Force. They will have a rural fire force presence over the summer period.

Former fire chief Will Shirer said the Turangi brigade did a fantastic job fighting the fire.

"But a fire doubles in size in a minute, and had we got there 10 minutes earlier and poured a substantial amount of water on the blaze from a safe distance as we are qualified to do, it could have made a big difference."

Principal rural fire officer Paul Wright and Taupa District Council group manager community risk Brian Fox said in a joint statement they would like to return a fire appliance to the Omori Kuratau area as soon as there were enough volunteers to man it. Meanwhile, the Kuratau community has rallied in support of the McGregor family with a donation box at the Omori Store and a fundraising "housie night" at Omori Community Hall. It is understood the house and contents were insured.