Hot spots dampened as residents recall the Loburn fire horror

Monday, 22 January 2024

Fire crews dampen hot spots in Swannanoa after three fires tore through scrub and properties over two hot, nor' west days in North Canterbury.

North Canterbury residents are praising the fast work of fire crews and the community’s support as they recover from a blaze that burnt homes to the ground.

Multiple fire crews continued to dampen down hotspots on Sunday at sites in Amberley and Loburn where fires broke out during the scorching temperatures and strong nor’ west winds on Friday.

On Saturday, another fire in Swannanoa was fuelled by similar hot, dry weather conditions which crews continued to control and contain yesterday.

Loburn resident Keily Buttell said the fire came very close to her property on Friday.

The Loburn blaze on Loburn Whitelock Rd charred approximately 10 hectares, and destroyed three homes - one of which was formerly a church - plus several buildings and multiple vehicles, including farm machinery.

Karikaas Cheeses co-owner and manager Di Hawkins said “we’re bloody lucky” to have the business building and home still standing after the blaze jumped her house, setting fire to mulch on the property.

She said a truck and tanker were on her driveway on Friday afternoon “hosing both sides” - one to protect the house, the other to stop it going into bush and trees.

“They saved the house because they arrived fast enough to do it.”

Others weren’t so lucky, she said, including a neighbour who had lived in, and restored the local St Andrew’s Presbyterian church, lovingly called St Andrew’s Rest.

Fire crews on the ground doused the flames of the Loburn scrub fire while helicopter dropped hundrds of litres of water from the air.

The woman who lived there with her dog had put a lot of effort into beautifying the garden and “tastefully” doing up the old wooden church, said Hawkins.

“She came out of the smoke driving a car, she would’ve had the dog. I don’t think she had a chance to take much with her.

“All we could do was wave her goodbye.”

She returned to the site on Saturday night, Hawkins said and was “remarkably stoic and philosophical”.

Everybody who helped has been “phenomenal”, including the mostly volunteer fire crews and the community.

Loburn resident, Keily Buttell called fellow local, Sarah Rowbothan “an angel” after she helped get her four horses and a neighbour’s horse to safety.

“There’s some beautiful human beings out there.”

Buttell said she happened to be working from home when she smelled smoke.

Loburn residents wanted to thank fire crews and the community for their support during the “terrifying” ordeal.

“I looked out my front door and the paddock was on fire.”

The property lost power moments after she called 111, she said, then “we just ran, got into cars and hightailed it up to the top of our property”.

“It was just terrifying.”

All she had in her head was getting her horses and family to safety, which meant cutting through the fence to her neighbour’s property to allow horses an escape from the blaze.

“I could hear this roar of everything going up.”

She said it happened so quickly, “I thought we were toast” because she could “feel the heat of the flames” on her face.

“I never want to go through that again.”

The first of three North Canterbury fires began on Friday afternoon in Amberley were fire creased finished dampening hot spots by Sunday afternoon.

Her message to people was to have an evacuation plan.

“That gave me focus,” during a stressful time she said.

A local cat and dog breeder was surprised by the ferocity of the fire and its ability to jump distances.

Little Country Bears - Toy Poodles and Spoodles owner Ellie Thomson said she moved fast when she realised she was just a couple of properties away from the blaze.

First she called neighbours to tell them to “get home in case they needed anything important from their house” then she focused on taking care of her 22 dogs and 5 cats, including three about to give birth.

“I was beside myself with so many animals.”

When she saw “flames shooting into the air” she knew the fire was “serious,” she said.

It had appeared to cross the “fairly wide road”.

“It’s incredible how far fires can jump” and how more can start from another flame, having noticed a charred circle “a full paddock away” from the main fire, she said.

Waimakariri District Mayor Dan Gordon said “our heart goes out to all those who are affected”.

“It’s obviously very distressing for them but our community is right behind them.”

By 4pm on Sunday fire crews had left the Amberley and Loburn fire sites. In Swannanoa two crews monitored the fire ground overnight after mopping up about 80% of the hot spots, a Fenz spokesperson said.

The causes of all three fires remain under investigation.

Despite slightly cooler temperatures forecast early this week in Canterbury, the fire danger remains elevated, they said.

“Canterbury residents are reminded to take extreme care with all activities that could cause a spark that will set vegetation on fire.”