Lake Ōkāreka firefighters work to put out the blaze on Matakana Island on 24 December, 2023.
Firefighters will be working on Matakana Island for days to come after about 200 hotspots were found overnight following a major blaze.
The fire, which broke out on Saturday, burnt through more than 37 hectares of scrub and pine slash. It was contained on Sunday night but 30 firefighters and three helicopters continued to work through to keep it under control with fire breaks.
Incident Controller Jeff Maunder said in some areas the fire was burning underground in the roots of large trees. Drones flying over the area on Tuesday morning had found about 200 hotspots still to be dealt with. "The fire is contained within a secure perimeter, but there are pockets of vegetation and tree stumps that are still smouldering and could reignite if not fully extinguished."
The fire, which broke out on Saturday, burnt through more than 37 hectares of scrub and pine slash. It was contained on Sunday night but 30 firefighters and three helicopters continued to work through to keep it under control with fire breaks.
Incident Controller Jeff Maunder said in some areas the fire was burning underground in the roots of large trees. Drones flying over the area on Tuesday morning had found about 200 hotspots still to be dealt with. "The fire is contained within a secure perimeter, but there are pockets of vegetation and tree stumps that are still smouldering and could reignite if not fully extinguished."
Rural Firefighters Ryan Pryde and Juliska Coetzee from the Eastern Bay Volunteer Fire Brigade at work on Matakana Island.
Resident Hauata Palmer said the fire did not appear to pose a danger to residents. The fire was closer to the side of the island facing the Pacific Ocean, whereas most residents live on the other side, Palmer said. The community was currently not affected by the smoke, because the wind had been blowing the smoke away from the settlements, she said.
Visibility was reduced as Lake Ōkāreka firefighters worked to put out the blaze.
Residents in nearby Tauranga said they had been able to see the fire from the town, and some even felt the smoke drifting over. "There has been smoke and stuff come over and I've had other people complaining about respiratory ailments that, you know, they couldn't hang the washing on the line or had to shut all the windows and turn the air con on," resident Leanne Swinburne said.
Fire crews had been very swift in tackling the blaze, Swinburne said. Boats had been regularly stopping off at the island to drop off firefighters, she said. "I think that everyone's done as much as they could with the resources they have. I mean there's only one fire truck, I believe, on the island itself, they did everything as fast as they could, I don't think there's anything that could've been done any better or faster."
Fire crews had been very swift in tackling the blaze, Swinburne said. Boats had been regularly stopping off at the island to drop off firefighters, she said. "I think that everyone's done as much as they could with the resources they have. I mean there's only one fire truck, I believe, on the island itself, they did everything as fast as they could, I don't think there's anything that could've been done any better or faster."
An aerial view of the fire on Matakana Island.
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