Tongariro National Park fire: Hiker describes apocalyptic scene amid helicopter evacuation

A hiker evacuated from Mt Tongariro via helicopter said it felt like the end of the world when ashes began falling from the sky.

The large fire in the Central Plateau broke out on Saturday, triggering evacuations of trampers and closing a highway on Saturday night.

Evacuations continued early on Sunday as the out-of-control wildfire spread.

Daisy Bao’s group passed the small blaze near the entrance to the park yesterday.

She thought it would be put out soon as fire crews were already there, but 4km into the hike she saw large flames in the distance.

“And then we realised the fire wasn’t put out, it had actually got bigger,” she told the Herald.

Her group continued and was met by a ranger who had just received orders to evacuate trampers on their radio, she said.

“We had very lucky timing to receive the information from the ranger in time.”

When they reached their hut, the seriousness of the situation sank in.

“We could see the big flames rising up from the other side of the mountain, and the fire was coming our way,” she told the Herald.

“It almost felt a little bit surreal, like the end of the world, because the ashes were falling down from the sky.”

A helicopter arrived and met the group, which had mixed emotions; some were scared and anxious, while others were excited to get in the chopper, Bao said.

Under the guidance of Fire and Emergency New Zealand staff and the rescue team, they were able to evacuate in a calm, orderly fashion, she said.

Daisy Bao was among a group airlifted from Mt Tongariro during the fire. Photo / @iloveaotearoa00

A “spectacular and very devastating” scene awaited them in the air as they saw a line of orange fire with “unstoppable flames”.

“We felt very sad for the mountain and the land and the animals that could have been impacted by this.”

It was very surprising to see how large the fire had gotten since they drove past it earlier, Bao said.

The rescue crew was friendly and calm, which helped comfort the group and make them feel safe.

They landed near the Whakapapa Fire Station and were greeted with tea, coffee, and biscuits, Bao said.

Accommodation was also offered to the group.

Bao said if they had been evacuated one hour later, it could have been a disaster.

The fire was moving quickly, so if their rescue was delayed they could have been stranded on the mountain, she said.

“Later, we were told the place that we walked past has now been burnt to ashes.”

The timely evacuation meant their driver was able to get their car from the carpark, out of the fire zone.

Fires continue to rage in Tongariro National Park. Photo / Wendy Smit

“Had the rescue been a little bit later, maybe delayed by one hour, we would not be able to get our cars back. They will all be buried in the fire.”

Fire and Emergency assistant commander Assistant Commander Craig Gold said on Sunday afternoon that the fire now covered an estimated 1800 hectares and was 20% contained.

Twelve helicopters and five fixed-wing aircraft are waterbombing the fire, while another helicopter co-ordinates their movements.

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