Helicopters and ground crews will return to a scrub fire at first light near SH5 between Napier and Taupo.
The fire service received a call to a vegetation blaze about 2pm, but pulled crews out of the remote spot at nightfall on Monday. Crews will return at first light, but the fire could burn for weeks, Eastern and Central North Island rural fire authority manager Paul Baker said. "In the kind of drought conditions we have got everything is so dry in the forest that something like this could be burning or smouldering for weeks." No homes are at risk, Baker said. "It's too remote for that. [There are no homes] for many kilometres." It is understood there's no threat to wildlife who will "move off" Baker said.
The fire service received a call to a vegetation blaze about 2pm, but pulled crews out of the remote spot at nightfall on Monday. Crews will return at first light, but the fire could burn for weeks, Eastern and Central North Island rural fire authority manager Paul Baker said. "In the kind of drought conditions we have got everything is so dry in the forest that something like this could be burning or smouldering for weeks." No homes are at risk, Baker said. "It's too remote for that. [There are no homes] for many kilometres." It is understood there's no threat to wildlife who will "move off" Baker said.
On Tuesday, ground crews from Turangi, Taupo and Rotorua will join helicopters to battle the blaze, he said. There's a rain forecast for the area on Wednesday, but it's "very unlikely much of the rain will get over the ranges". Baker said the service was also aware of smaller fires in Gisborne and Hawke's Bay, and noted it was the driest summer the region had seen since 1905.
The fire is in a forest in Ripia, a catchment between Hastings and Taupo in "rough hill country" in Hawke's Bay, Baker said. It's about 65km north-west of Napier, near the State Highway 5 trunkline to Taupo.
The fire is in a forest in Ripia, a catchment between Hastings and Taupo in "rough hill country" in Hawke's Bay, Baker said. It's about 65km north-west of Napier, near the State Highway 5 trunkline to Taupo.
BUSH BLAZE: Fire crews are back out at a Manuka and beech forest fire which started yesterday afternoon.
There is very limited road access to the rural area. Six helicopters fought the blaze on Monday, which was about 20ha by 3pm, and an aircraft specialist from Masterton was flown up to run the aircraft operation. Additional crews are due to arrive on Tuesday morning. The fire would have spread since 3pm but Baker was not sure by how much. "We are giving it all we have and we are dealing with it successfully."
No one has been injured in the fire. It remains unclear how the blaze began.
No one has been injured in the fire. It remains unclear how the blaze began.
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