Pāuanui orchard fire blamed on fireworks as crews battle 50m blaze

Fire and Emergency New Zealand have said fireworks were the cause of the fire at a kiwifruit orchard in Pāuanui. Photo / 123rf

Fireworks are being blamed for a fire at a kiwifruit orchard in the Coromandel town of Pāuanui.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand said the blaze started just before midnight and quickly grew to a size of 50 by 50m, prompting a third alarm that signalled its severity on December 6.

Fire crews were called to the scene and moved quickly to extinguish the fire.

They were able to bring the situation under control and left the scene at around 12.45am.

The fire is said to have burned through multiple trees in the orchard.

In a statement to NZME today, a Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesperson said that the “cause of this fire was fireworks” and the damage was “limited to trees”.

With summer now here, the fire service warned that the fire risk is increasing and will continue to increase over the coming months.

“This means much of our vegetation will be dry and ready to ignite.

“We strongly encourage people to not use fireworks over summer. But if you do decide to use them, please go to www.checkitsalright.nz to find out if it’s safe to do so.”

The website advises on the risk for different types of fire activity, provides fire safety advice, and tells you what fire restrictions your location is under if you are not sure.