Far North fire: Sacred cultural sites affected by blaze, iwi say

Friday, 7 January 2022

Fire and Emergency NZ incident controller Nigel Dravitzki explains why the Waiharara fire is so hard to contain. (Video first published January 7.)

The ongoing Far North fire has damaged some wāhi tapu sites, including exposing remains, said Ngai Takoto iwi.

The Waiharara fire has been burning since December 18 and twice caused the evacuation of the seaside village of Kaimaumau, although no homes have been lost.

Sixty-three firefighters are working on the ground on Friday, alongside nine bulldozers and diggers and five helicopters in an effort to control the blaze.

The fire is burning in about 2400ha of wetland, peat and sand.

Wallace Rivers, chairman of Ngai Tokoto, said the fire is about 2400ha, and is burning through land owned by the Department of Conservation and co-managed by the iwi.

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The seaside community of Kaimaumau had to evacuate on New Year's Day, as flames could be seen close by.

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The land includes a number of wāhi tapu, or sacred, sites which cannot be protected from such a large fire, he said.

“You can only do so much while the fire has affected such a large area, but we’re going in after to maintain vigilance over these sacred sites.”

Rivers said one wāhi tapu site was affected on Thursday, and iwi have gone into the area on Friday to assess the damage and rebury items following cultural process.

Waiharara fire incident controller Nigel Dravitzki says the community and local iwi have been very understanding and supportive of the fire control efforts.

“We assess the damage and what the damage has exposed, and where there might be exposure to certain things that are tapu to us, including remains, we work through our processes of returning these back to where they should be within the whenua (land).”

Rivers said the iwi is working within Fire and Emergency processes to ensure everyone is kept safe.

Ngai Takoto has a good relationship with Fire and Emergency, and is part of a governance group alongside DOC, he said.

“They’re working very hard to keep both the community and iwi informed on a regular basis.”

Rivers said the biggest concern for the community is access to water, as many of the rainwater tanks are starting to run low, and people need to clear the ash from their roofs before they can collect rain again.

This is not just a problem for Kaimaumau residents, but also those living north and west of the fire, including in Houhora.

The Mayoral Relief Fund started by Far North mayor John Carter, and backed by a $20,000 Government grant, will be a big help to residents, he said.

The process to distribute this fund is still being worked through, Rivers said.

Meanwhile, about 70 people attended a community meeting at Wharemaru Marae o Kaimaumau on Friday to find out more about the fire, incident controller Nigel Dravitzki said.

Firefighters are prepared to cope with a forecast easterly wind change, which will see the fire blowing inland, he said.

'We have beefed-up resources and made our crews aware of how the wind change may impact the firefighting effort,' he said.

“We’re well-planned, well resourced and we’re ready – rest assured.”

After 21 days, the fire is still not contained and an investigation into the cause of the blaze is not yet finished.

People wishing to donate to the Mayoral Relief Fund can make payments online or at any ASB Bank branch by quoting account number 12 3244 0022509 04. People wishing to apply to the fund can download an application form or email John.Carter@fndc.govt.nz.