Port Hills fire believed to have been started by group with fireworks

Monday, 14 December 2020

Fire and Emergency New Zealand wild fire manager Brian Keown provides an update on the Port Hills fire on Sunday.

A fire that forced dozens to flee their homes late at night is believed to have been caused by a group of young adults lighting fireworks.

Firefighters were called to the blaze on Christchurch’s Port Hills about 11.30pm on Friday. Two helicopters with monsoon buckets and dozens of firefighters fought the blaze overnight as it burned through 20 hectares, and destroyed a barn.

Stuff understands about five young adults were lighting fireworks when the blaze started. It is understood the group has been spoken to by police, but no charges have been laid at this stage.

Kester Vos, who owned the damaged barn, had several hectares of his property burnt in the blaze.

**READ MORE:

A barn owned by Kester Vos was the only structure destroyed in the fire.

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The firefighters were checking for hidden hotspots, which can smoulder in the roots of trees.

He was yet to speak to police about the cause of the fire, but said he had encountered people drinking alcohol and lighting fireworks in the area regularly over the last 20 years.

Kester Vos owns part of the land that was burnt in the Port Hills fire on Friday.

“Rather than barrelling in and go aggressive I’ve just pleaded with them to think about their actions and what could end up happening. It’s worked for about 20 years.”

He said it “defied commonsense” why people chose to let off fireworks on the hills when the Hillsborough Domain was nearby.

“When you’re setting off fireworks you don’t need elevation because they go up any way.”

Fenz wild fire manager Brian Keown says embers carried from burning trees were in danger of spreading the fire.

“Our biggest fear was that our home was under threat. And not only us, but our neighbours and all the other 40 people who had to be evacuated. We were watching it unfold, going ‘well when is it going to end’.

“Thank goodness it's the best [outcome] we could have.”

He hoped the group would reach out to him and apologise for what happened.

Three days after the blaze, Vos was still “counting the cost” of the damage caused. The barn, which contained building materials and equipment, was completely destroyed. It was not insured and the material was worth about $30,000.

“I was quite happy three days ago, quite relaxed, looking forward to Christmas with family and going on holiday, thinking everything was all good,' he said on Monday.

“But … I'm also so grateful for the fire crew – they were calm, they worked their ass off in the middle of the night.

“I just take my hat off to them.”

Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) spokesman Mau Barbara earlier said a crew would periodically patrol the area until late Monday to make sure nothing flared up.

Fenz Christchurch metro area commander Dave Stackhouse earlier said they were still investigating the cause of the fire.

The fire may have started at a concrete water reservoir in the Port Hills, he said.