Christchurch’s Port Hills fire started on private property but fire investigators have not determined how it broke out, according to a Fire and Emergency report into the blaze.
The fire started at the property near the Worsley Track on February 14and spread over 700ha, forcing the evacuation of more than 100 properties.
The blaze triggered a major firefighting operation including more than 100 firefighters, 15 helicopters, two fixed-wing aircraft and almost 30 fire engines.
The fire started at the property near the Worsley Track on February 14 and spread over 700ha, forcing the evacuation of more than 100 properties. File photo / George Heard
Fenz incident commander Dave Stackhouse said investigators pinpointed a specific origin area of about five square metres, about 50m off the side of Worsleys Rd.
“The owner of the property where the fire originated co-operated with the investigation and advised that there had been no activity or equipment used on the day the fire started,” he said.
“Our legal advice is that, because of privacy reasons, Fire and Emergency is unable to release the specific origin area of the fire because it is on private property.”
Fire crews kept working on the Port Hills until the blaze was completely extinguished. File photo / George Heard
Stackhouse said the outcome could be disappointing for everyone affected by fire who were hoping for answers.
“Our investigation into the cause of the fire included three experienced wildfire investigators working alongside the police and who arrived in Christchurch the day after the fire started,” he said.
Investigators interviewed three witnesses who were in the vicinity of the fire when it started and were the first to alert emergency services.
Aerial image of the Port Hills fire in Christchurch. File photo / George Heard
They assessed photos and videos of the early stages of the fire which were sent in by the public or captured on CCTV, Stackhouse said.
The report said the combination of “dry weather, low moisture content and a continuous available fuel load” helped the fire ignite and its subsequent spread.
“These conditions assisted in the ignition and spread of the fire,” he said.
While the cause of the fire was unclear, Stackhouse said significant fires such as the Port Hills blaze sent a strong reminder to the public to protect themselves from wildfire.
“Now is the time to prepare for the fire season,” he said.
“We encourage the community to develop an emergency plan, this should include a plan for pets and livestock.
“We also recommend that property owners take action to create a defensible space around their properties, remove unwanted vegetation and leaves and use low flammability plants to assist with creating a green fire break around properties.”
