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Waikato Wetlands Blaze: Fire Ground Handed Over To DOC

27/10/2024

Fire and Emergency have handed the site of a large vegetation fire which burned through more than 1000 hectares of "environmentally significant" wetlands in north Waikato back to the Department of Conservation.

Crews were alerted to the fire, estimated to have burnt through 1039 hectares over five days, on Monday afternoon. At its peak, eight helicopters and two fixed-wing aircraft attacked the fire from the air.

Incident controller Mark Tinworth said the fire has now been fully contained and under control for three days. "There will continue to be some hot spots and our crews will remain on site to support DOC fire crews over the long weekend monitoring and dampening them down." Tinworth said that with "significant support" from iwi and DOC "we managed to save around 148 hectares of this area".

DOC regional director Tinaka Mearns said ecologically and culturally sensitive areas threatened by the fire were prioritised for protection from the beginning of the response. The wetland is home to a range of native birds, fish and plants.

"While saddened by the devastating damage, we’re incredibly proud the teams who worked to salvage parts of the internationally recognised Whangamarino wetland." Mearns said the wetland was of "very high" ecological significance and that it hosted threatened plants and animal species. "The areas protected from the fire will be crucial to the recovery as a vegetation and seed source."

An estimated 96,000-181,800 tonnes of greenhouse gases were released back into the atmosphere by the fire, Mearns said. "This would be worth $5.1-$9.6m based on current carbon markets."

Iwi representative Kelvin Tupuhi said the focus would be on the future for the area destroyed by the fire. "We are very thankful to the team for showing protection and care to the area that holds significant ecological and culture values to mana whenua, and for considering this at the forefront of all operations."

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Large Scrub Fire at Waikato Wetlands 'Under Control'

24/10/2024

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A large scrub fire that has been burning since Monday in Waikato is now under control, Fire and Emergency New Zealand has confirmed. Firefighters remain busy at the at the Whangamarino Wetland near Meremere, with the fire since spreading across 1039 hectares, and 19 kilometres.

Incident controller Mark Tinworth said drones were used to identify hotspots overnight, which are being dampened down today. He said two fire investigators are on site but it's still too early to determine the cause of the fire. Road closures are in place on Island Block Road, and Tinworth has warned residents may be affected by smoke and ash. "We are using air operations to dampen these hotspots down," he said.

Tinworth said people near the fire should contact the Environmental Health Officer for advice before using food, feed or water from storage tanks for drinking as these may have been impacted by smoke and ash from the fire. "We acknowledge people will be impacted by this fire and have worked hard to limit those impacts," he said. "Our crews gave it their all to bring this fire under control as quickly as they did, and I want to thank them for that."

The internationally significant Whangamarino Wetland has been extensively damaged by fire in the past. The wetland is home to a rare orchid not found anywhere else in New Zealand, as well as other unique plants and wildlife. According to Waikato Regional Council, the 7100 hectare wetland made up of peat bog, vegetation and fen, was the scene of two fires in the 1980s. Those destroyed 57 percent of the vegetation and left large areas vulnerable to introduced plants, the council's website states.

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Large Scrub Fire at Waikato Wetlands Not The First

23/10/2024

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The internationally significant Whangamarino Wetland, where 1000 hectares has been burned by a large scrub fire, was extensively damaged by fire in the past.

The wetland near Meremere in Waikato is home to a rare orchid not found anywhere else in New Zealand, as well as other unique plants and wildlife. According to Waikato Regional Council, the 7100 hectare wetland made up of peat bog, vegetation and fen, was the scene of two fires in the 1980s. Those destroyed 57 percent of the vegetation and left large areas vulnerable to introduced plants, the council's website states. "In areas of high fertility these exotic plants could dominate the native plants and prevent natural regeneration."

The Department of Conservation (DOC) undertook controlled burns at the wetland during winter to allow the tiny terrestrial swamp helmet orchid, or Corybas carsei, to grow uninhibited by larger vegetation. Ironically, the lack of fires because of necessary fire control meant "burn hole habitats" were uncommon and this had caused some plants, such as the rare orchid that depend on such burn holes for external nutrients, to become threatened with extinction.

Last year there was only 500 of the little flowers left, some of which had in the past been stolen by international plant enthusiasts. DOC Waikato, Hauraki and Taranaki regional director Tinaka Mearns told Midday Report although the current fire was devastating, the direction it was moving did not directly threaten the flower. "We're just constantly monitoring that space at the moment."

However, she said DOC held concerns for much of the biodiverse wetland, which also provided a breeding ground for the matuku-hūrepo bird.

The wetland was one of three in Waikato listed on the International Convention of Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar sites) making it ecologically significant. There were only seven in New Zealand. The other two are Kopuatai peat dome in Hauraki and the Firth of Thames estuary.

Since the 1840s, the draining of wetlands to convert to pasture had resulted in the lost of 83,000 hectares of wetland in Waikato, with only 27,000 hectares remaining, the regional council said. "Habitat loss and the isolation and fragmentation of wetlands have led to a decline in many wetland plants and animals, with many now threatened with extinction." Wetlands were no longer allowed to be drained.

A former DOC ranger, who did not want to be named, said there were a number of ways a fire could start in a wetland including lightning strikes, a spark from farm machinery, or by a farmer or resident burning off rubbish that spreads to the wetland. There was also concern that peat soil fires release large amounts of carbon dioxide into the air. The DOC ranger said in the past, if a fire was caused accidentally by a resident they faced a life-changing bill to pay for the cost of putting it out. The current fire began on Monday and was now 15 kilometres wide.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand incident controller Shane Bromley told Midday Report 50 firefighters, seven helicopters and two planes, were on track to bring the fire under control by 8pm today. Bromley said the fire was being fought from the air because the wetland made it impossible to bring in large machinery and create fire breaks on the ground. This was impacted for 10 minutes on Wednesday afternoon when a drone was sighted in the area near the fire, a second incident controller, Mark Tinworth, said.

Air operations were halted as was standard practice, Tinworth said, because a drone posed a serious threat to aircraft. He said a mid-air collision between a drone and a helicopter could have fatal consequences. Meanwhile, Bromley said at least six houses were at risk on Monday night but they, and surrounding lifestyle blocks and businesses, on Island Block Road were now safe. He said firefighters were now trying to protect and prevent 280ha from catching fire.

The peat soil was particularly challenging because it continued to burn underground, making it difficult to extinguish the fire. Bromley said fire safety investigators were still working to determine the cause of the fire.

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Waikato Wetlands Fire 'Now Under Control'

23/10/2024

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A large vegetation fire in Waikato is "now under control", Fire and Emergency New Zealand said in an update this evening. The fire, which has been burning for three days, is located near Meremere, which includes the Whangamarino wetlands.

In an update this evening, incident controller Mark Tinworth said Fire and Emergncy "was able to stand down its air operations around 5pm with the fire now contained and controlled". "This is a significant milestone for us as we do not expect the fire to grow any larger in size," he said. "We will have drones operating overnight to keep an eye out for reignition of the fire and to identify and monitor hotspots and flareups. "We will continue to have a presence at the site tomorrow as this fire will take some time to fully extinguish due to where it is burning in peat and wetland." The fire remains at 1024 hectares with a 15-kilometre perimeter.

Earlier this afternoon, Fire and Emergency said the blaze "has not grown significantly in size during the day". Tinworth thanked the crews for their efforts as they work to establish and strengthen containment lines around the fire. "The aircraft have been doing great work to slow the spread of the fire while the ground crews have been getting that containment line in so we can get this fire stopped in its tracks," he said. "It’s hard work for our crews, and I want to thank them for all their efforts throughout the day."

Tinworth also acknowledged that "there is some anxiety out there about this fire, particularly with the large amount of smoke in the area". He reassured the community that "we have your safety as our top priority". "While we don’t expect anyone to be in any danger during this incident, we will let you know if there is any danger to you or your property well ahead of time." Tinworth added that Fire and Emergency services have received "a number of questions" around its potential risk to the community and businesses in the area. "Fire and Emergency have been working to establish and maintain communication and guidance with all involved." He reminded residents living within the vicinity of the smoke to "keep windows and doors closed, and to avoid the area altogether if possible".

Drone pauses aerial firefighting efforts

A drone spotted nearby briefly stopped firefighting efforts in the air this afternoon. "A mid-air collision between a drone and a helicopter could have fatal consequences," Tinworth said. Tinworth reminded members of the public not to fly drones "anywhere near the fireground". "This impacted our ability to fight this fire as air operations have been our main avenue for suppression of the fire." The drone was quickly grounded and air operations were able to resume after a break of around 10 minutes, he said.

Blaze could take 'some days' to control

Tinworth said the fire is "large" and it could still take "some days to bring it under control properly". "Peat fires are particularly challenging, as they can continue to burn underground and can be hard to find and extinguish." More than 50 personnel are involved in the firefighting operation, supported by helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. Fire investigators are on the scene, but have yet to confirm a cause at this time.

Yesterday, the Department of Conservation told 1News the Whangamarino wetland is an "extensive mosaic of swamps, fens, bogs and open water around the Whangamarino and Maramarua rivers". It is the second largest freshwater wetland in the North Island and is home to a range of native birds, fish and plants.

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Fire in 'Environmentally Significant' Waikato Wetlands Not Contained

22/10/2024

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Crews will return at first light to continue battling a large vegetation fire in "environmentally significant" scrub and wetlands in northern Waikato.

Eight helicopters, two fixed-wing aircraft and around 40 personnel have supported fire crews fighting the blaze off Island Block Rd near Meremere.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) incident commander Mark Tinworth said the fire has a perimeter of 11km and has burned through around more than 520 hectares, including the Whangamarino wetlands. "It's continuing to spread through the wetlands, but it’s not threatening any residential or commercial properties at present." Tinworth said Island Block Rd was now closed to all except emergency vehicles and urged people to avoid the area. "There’s a lot of smoke coming off the burning areas, and we advise people to keep car doors and windows shut if they have to drive near the area." In an update at around 6.45pm, Tinworth said the fire was "not yet contained". "Crews will continue to monitor the fire overnight, with firefighting operations continuing at first light."

The Department of Conservation says the Whangamarino wetland is an "extensive mosaic of swamps, fens, bogs and open water around the Whangamarino and Maramarua rivers". It is the second largest freshwater wetland in the North Island and is home to a range of native birds, fish and plants. FENZ is working with the Department of Conservation and mana whenua to ensure cultural and environmental values are considered in firefighting tactics, said Tinworth. "We're working really hard to contain it as quickly as possible, but we are expecting it to take another day or so to bring it under control. "This is a really beautiful part of the country with considerable environmental value, and we’re doing our best to prevent it from being destroyed."

Water for the firefighting efforts was temporarily sourced from the local supply but is now being sourced from a pond on a local farm. Investigators are on site today and the origin and cause of the fire are yet to be confirmed.

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