Calls for urgent safety work after road claims six lives in under a year, Wellingtonians face higher water restrictions and muggy weather set to stick around in the latest NZ Herald headlines.
Video / NZ Herald
“Our crews have done a great job to keep it contained to where they have, and now it’s a case of getting as much of it out as we can today.”
Resident Suzanne Whitehouse said her power suddenly went out about 11pm yesterday. She then got a call from a friend who lived nearby, asking if she had “looked up”.
“The sky was really red,” she told NZME. “We went outside and that’s when we could see smoke coming from Whitireia Park.”
A Fenz statement said crews and specialist appliances from across Wellington had been called in, and two helicopters were on the scene from 6am to help fight the blaze.
The scrub fire started overnight in Titahi Bay.
The public was advised to stay away from the area and keep windows and doors closed.
Assistant fire commander Steve Hudson said crews had been at the scene all night, but the fire was still “burning quite well” in the middle of the park.
Winds overnight had been high. “It’s still quite strong now — it’s ... pushing the fire along quite well into the unburned area.”
Fears 50 houses were under threat overnight
“When we arrived ... we weren’t sure on the exact direction the fire was going to take. But if it had come up to the area that we were worried about, along the top of Gloaming Hill, there could have been as many as 50 houses that were at risk of burning.
He said “luckily” a wind change had steered the fire to the other side of the ridge.
Locals can see helicopters helping to fight the fire.
Crews had then been able to start working their way around both sides of the fire, while the helicopters would be using monsoon buckets from above.
The fire had gone to a third alarm, with 14 crews operating at one time overnight. Specialist rural crews and special appliances had been called in from throughout the Wellington district.
The estimated 10ha burned was a “huge area”, equivalent to many rugby fields, though it was difficult to say because the terrain was hilly.
Public advised to shut windows against ‘toxic’ smoke
Helicopters battle a large scrub fire in Titahi Bay, Porirua.
People are advised to stay away, keep windows shut and washing off the line.
“The smoke at the moment is still very, very strong and toxic,” Hudson said. Calls had come in from Hutt Valley and Wellington where people could smell the smoke in the early hours of the morning.
A specialist in rural fires would be investigating because it was not yet known how the blaze had begun.
That work could not begin until the fire was sufficiently under control.
“If anyone’s got any ideas about coming into the park, please stay away until we can get on top of the fire,” Hudson said.
To fully extinguish it was expected to take two days.
Windy conditions were making it difficult to contain the fire, the Titahi Bay fire brigade said in a Facebook post just after midnight.
“We have our crew along with other crews from around Wellington in attendance. Can we please ask everyone to stay clear of Gloaming Hill, Whitireia and surrounding areas so emergency services can access locations needed for emergency response.
“If you live near these locations, please close your windows to keep the smoke out.”
The Porirua fire brigade also warned people to keep windows and doors closed if they suffered from respiratory conditions or “just don’t like the smell”, because the smoke was blowing across the harbour.
No homes are at risk from the fire.
Porirua Mayor Anita Baker said locals should keep their windows and doors shut.
“I’m just down at Porirua at the moment and the smoke is all over the city going towards Wellington.”
Baker was grateful to all the firefighters, including volunteers and rural firefighters. “I can’t thank them enough.”
Meanwhile, in Canterbury, a grass fire also sparked up next to the Rangitata highway in Ashburton overnight.
