Aerial view of Nelson bush fire shows vast scale of devastation

Thursday, 7 February 2019

Flying over the blackened hills of the Nelson fires, still smoking and steaming in the midday sun, provides the best view of the vast scale of the devastation.

The perimeter of the fire is said to be 22km but the swathe of burned trees and fields looks endless as our helicopter sweeps over the area.

Fire was metres from destroying a Redwood Valley property.

The fires have lost their flames but are still packing incredible heat as the smoke rises towards the Marlborough Helicopters chopper carrying the Stuff team. Ash looks almost like a scattering of snow against the black.

Temperatures soared in Nelson as firefighters continued to battle the blaze.

A house in Redwood Valley was saved but a structure, to the left of the house, was destroyed.

The view from the sky brings home what the authorities have said about the work put into saving houses. Many of them, full of memories and possessions, clearly came close to destruction.

Helicopters battle a massive fire in Nelson.

Helicopters using monsoon buckets managed to save another property in Redwood Valley.

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* Nelson bush fire: What you need to know**

The houses, that real estate agents would describe as luxury villas providing an ideal lifestyle, sit on a mostly black canvas surrounding each of the dwellings. A blue swimming pool, circled by ash and the ugly brown of dead trees stands out like oasis of coolness. Immaculately landscaped sections, still with vegetation intact, look as though they have been flown in from another planet.

Flames would have engulfed the houses but for the efforts of helicopter pilots dumping monsoon buckets of water and fire fighters pushing back where they could.

The attractive wooded sections could have turned into death traps for the occupants. They might think they were lucky. They were.

Helicopters flying endless relays with monsoon buckets continue to douse trouble spots among the swirling smoke. The day is getting hotter and the wind is changeable.

An expensive Redwood Valley home sits intact and undamaged beside a levelled structure.

Just above is another home just as lucky. Several soldiers are on the property pumping water into a pool so the helicopters can swoop in and fill their monsoon buckets. The area is dotted with ponds and dams providing water for the helicopters.

Digger drivers are clearing bush and pine trees to make firebreaks should the wind turn.

In a few years the hills will no doubt be green again. But a bird's eye view on this hot Thursday shows only the immense power of fire.