'Lots of work to be done' as devastating fire still burns in Far North

Wednesday, 29 December 2021

A scrub fire continues near Kaimaumau in the Far North.

As the scrub fire at Waiharara still burns, residents have been told that more than half of the fire ground is contained, and that chemical firefighting methods have been approved to combat the blaze that has ripped through 2000 hectares of land since mid-December.

At a community meeting on Tuesday, Northland Fire and Emergency (FENZ) Incident Controller John Sutton said “a lot of work needed to be done”.

Residents in Waiharara, about 20km north of Kaitaia, were evacuated from the township on December 18 as a large fire forced 30 people to take shelter at a local school.

Incident Controller John Sutton gave updates on the fire’s containment at a community meeting on December 29.

Sutton said after the meeting that locals were “well aware” of the risk bush fires posed.

* Far North town evacuated after scrub fire spreads

The scrub fire at Waiharara on December 19. At that time the fire covered about 2000 hectares.

“Many of them have lived here for a long time and this area has a history of fire operations, so I acknowledge many of them are aware this won't be quickly resolved,” he said.

Fire & Emergency NZ incident controller Wipari Henwood explains the latest on the fire near Kaimaumau on Monday.

He explained that while the fire was contained, the perimeter needed to be carefully managed because the fire was still burning through trees and scrub within it.

The next few weeks will see the fire ground remapped by FENZ staff, who will measure the perimeter of the bush fire and determine how much they’ve gained in the containment line – an area cleared of vegetation that flames can’t jump across. In Waiharara, the containment lines are about 30 metres wide.

Sutton said as of Wednesday, more than 50 per cent of the ground is currently contained.

Sutton said the Department of Conservation has given permission for FENZ to use a chemical approach, where flame retardant dumped from an aircraft releases a gas that suppresses the fire.

“It’s added another string to our bow, so we’ll bring that gear here and, if the circumstances prove favourable, we’ll use that option,” said Sutton.

FENZ group manager Mitchell Brown has been appointed as recovery manager, and will work with the public and landowners to create a recovery plan.

Sutton said the community was “very engaged” with the idea of future-proofing the township, and a Civil Defence warning system was suggested during the meeting.

“They’re questions which fit well into a recovery plan, things like alarm systems – it was clear they were all engaged,” he said.