An out-of-control wildfire burning in Tongariro National Park is continuing to spread, now covering an estimated 1100ha.
The Department of Conservation (DoC) is continuing to support Fire and Emergency New Zealand crews and as a precaution, nine hikers were being evacuated by foot and vehicle from the Waihohonu Hut on Sunday morning.
Fire and Emergency authorities deployed more resources to fight the fire this morning.
“We have six helicopters and three fixed-wing aircraft actively firefighting at this stage, and we have three more helicopters enroute to bring it to a total of nine,” Craig Gold, assistant commander for Manawatū-Whanganui Fire District, said.
The large fire in the Central Plateau broke out yesterday, triggering evacuations of trampers and closing a highway last night.
What caused the fire is unknown.
“We’ve deployed a specialist investigator from Wellington who’s en route to come up and assist police, with investigating the cause of the fire,” Gold said.
Speaking to Radio New Zealand, Skotel Alpine Resort owner Sam Clarkson described his view of the power the fire last night.
“It was like a hellscape, you know, welcome to Mordor, it really was.
“The wall of flame was enormous ... I would estimate some of those flames are 30 metres high.”
Clarkson it was a “wall of orange” that was “at least” four kilometres long.
”Everything that the fire service were valiantly trying to throw at [it] was achieving nothing,” he said.
Forty-three hikers and the Mangatepopo Hut warden were airlifted out on Saturday as a precaution with DoC staff providing welfare at Whakapapa Village.
“We made the call very early to evacuate those people. Erred on the side of safety and made a call to evacuate them immediately because really, with the wind change, results could have been catastrophic,” Gold said.
Wendy Smit and her friends had just completed the crossing when they noticed smoke in the distance.
“We were wondering if it was in national park or, you know, like a hotel or a house because it seemed pretty big,” Smit said.
From the safety of Waimarino, Smit and her group watched the fire burn into the night.
“It kind of looked like the volcano was glowing because it was just a red glow in the distance.”
Fire and Emergency said fresh crews of firefighters from Taranaki and Manawatū-Whanganui joined the battle to bring the blaze under control this morning.
“It’s quite difficult terrain because it’s sort of undulating and it’s over a really large area and often we’ve got a long way to go in to, to get to the seat of the fire,” Gold said.
Help could be on its way in the form of a change in weather.
“I think the weather forecast for Monday and Tuesday are pretty favourable. We might be due a bit of rain. What’s of most interest for us at the moment is the wind.”
There are no reports yet of structural damage and Gold said it was unlikely at this stage.
“We’re a considerable distance from any buildings or any structures at the moment, so there are none that are at risk.”
But there is still significant damage, according to Clarkson.
“It’s just an ecological disaster. I watched, literally weeping as the fire went closer and closer and closer to the hill Pukeonake, which is a sensitive sub-alpine environment where the little communities of plant life all huddle together and live out their lives, and it just got toasted,” he told RNZ.
Authorities are warning the public to stay away.
“It’s an impressive site to watch, but we don’t want rubberneckers up there or anybody going up the road,” Gold said.
It’s expected to take a full day of operations to bring the fire under control.
Earlier advice from Fire and Emergency was for residents in the area to stay alert to the fire, and keep doors and windows shut to minimise exposure to the smoke.
Anyone who feels unsafe, or is vulnerable to smoke, is being encouraged to self-evacuate and stay with family or friends.
People north of the fire are advised to go towards Tūrangi and people south to go towards National Park.
State Highway 47, Waimarino to Tongariro, remains closed between the intersections with SH48 and SH46 with no detours available.
The Department of Conservation has closed the Tongariro Crossing and associated areas.
A no-fly zone is in place covering the airspace over the fireground and surrounding area, so that firefighting aircraft are not endangered by other aircraft or drones.