Hawke's Bay's extreme dry conditions ignited last week testing firefighters to the limits over several days. Swinging into action with a highly co-ordinated response, their tireless efforts were appreciated by all in the community.
As Hawke's Bay residents arose to a gusty, sticky 27C morning last Monday little was anyone aware that a fiery drama was about to unfold, plunging the Hastings district into a state of emergency and testing firefighting resources to the limits.
The preceding week had proven the weather conditions were perfect for grass fires.
Hawke's Bay's landscape was parched, temperatures were soaring, the winds that have defined this summer continued unabated, and blazes were breaking out daily.
Grass and forest fires had been fought between Te Pohue and Puketitiri (Ripia River), Te Hauke, Havelock North, Ongaonga and Raukawa (Colin White Rd).
On Monday, at about 10.30am many of these fires had been significantly contained, but then the wailing of fire sirens indicated there was a new threat.
Fire crews began scrambling to Waimarama Rd where a "stage five" grass fire that had started near the corner of Waimarama and Kahuranaki roads was rapidly spreading eastward to Lake Lopez.
By 11am, 50ha of grassland had been burnt, and Waimarama Rd had been closed to all but fire service personnel and authorised vehicles and water tankers.
Helicopters buzzed overhead, dousing the areas ground crews couldn't get to, and providing support for diggers and bulldozers building a firebreak to prevent the spread towards a forest plantation overlooking Craggy Range Rd.
Despite the best efforts of the first crews, one house was lost, but five others that were in danger were saved in the nick of time by firefighters working blindly through dense smoke and heat on the steep, slippery hillsides.
The danger of the situation led to about 23 homes being evacuated on the Waimarama side of the fire, and power was switched off to more than 700 properties in the area.
Meanwhile, fires at Colin White Rd, Ripia River and Te Hauke were still being monitored, putting such a strain on resources that at about 2pm the Hastings District Council and Hawke's Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management Group declared a state of emergency.
Hastings mayor Lawrence Yule noted the seriousness of the situation, commenting that emergency services were struggling to keep up with the situation.
By the afternoon the wind had changed direction and attention turned to the safety of homes and residents of Craggy Range Rd, resulting in 20 homes being evacuated, while firefighters battled to prevent the blaze reaching a 200ha plantation of pine trees.
Throughout the day five helicopters, 40 rural firefighters and more than 20 NZ Fire Service firefighters were on the scene, with assistance from Auckland, Tararua, Wellington and Tauranga as well as the wider Hawke's Bay.
Waimarama Rd was reopened at 6pm, and power to the area was restored at 7pm, but Craggy Range Rd residents had to find other accommodation for the night as work continued to contain the blaze.
Welfare centres had been established at the Waimarama Hall and Havelock North Function Centre for those stranded in town.
Eight fire crews and the New Zealand Defence Force remained to monitor the situation overnight when a 1.5km firebreak was bulldozed.
Day 2 - Tuesday
By daybreak, the Waimarama Rd fire was only 50 per cent contained, helicopters were under way with monsoon buckets, and resources were still stretched with other fires in the district requiring attention.
With a change in wind direction expected later in the day, fears remained for the Craggy Range Rd area, and the emergency status remained in place.
Fire crews from throughout the North Island, the Defence Force and the Department of Conservation were assisting, and the welfare of Waimarama and Ocean Beach residents was being checked by Hastings District Council Civil Defence staff.
During the day the Hawke's Bay District Health Board warned people in the fire-affected area about potential ash and smoke contamination in their water supply and on garden produce.
By 6.30pm Craggy Range Rd residents were allowed back home and a measure of control had been achieved with flare-ups confined to within the 30 metre fire break that had been bulldozed over the previous 24 hours.
The fires in Colin White Rd, Ripia River and Te Hauke were contained but still being monitored for hot-spots, and Defence Force staff took over the night shift at Waimarama Rd.
Day 3 - Wednesday
Thanks to lighter than forecast winds the day before, the Waimarama Rd, Colin White Rd and Ripia River fires were contained but still being monitored, but the Civil Defence Emergency status remained.
Craggy Range Rd and Lopez Lane were still closed to everyone except residents and firefighters who spent the day combing through the trees for hotspots.
Local helicopters remained on standby, but those from out of town had returned to their home bases, ready to return if need be.
Ground crews from out of the region were also stood down by nightfall, while Hawke's Bay crews continued to work shifts at all the fire sites.
By 2pm the Civil Defence Emergency status was lifted, although the fire risk in the region remained high.
NZ Army crews continued to monitor the situation overnight.
Day 4 - Thursday
Many members of the local crews who had been fighting fires for weeks, including the three large fires of the past three days, were given time off to rest, and crews from out of the region were due to stood down on Friday.
Although all three of the main fires were contained, they were still being monitored both from air and by foot.
Hastings District Council local incident controller Craig Cameron said the efforts of all fire personnel had been outstanding.
"We can't thank them enough. All of these people have given up all of their time and contact with their families to help us protect people and houses."
Despite yesterday's rain, he said the region was so dry that a fire risk remained, and a total fire ban remained in place until further notice.