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A train is believed to have started two grass fires that sent smoke into the sky over Christchurch.
A spokesman for Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) said one of the fires was on Truscotts Rd in Heathcote Valley, near the Ferrymead Heritage Park. The other was on Brougham St, near Ensors Rd. Both fires occurred in grass near the railroad tracks.
The spokesperson said firefighters were first called to the Brougham St.
Fenz Area Deputy Commander Shane Cole said the fires were under control at 4:20 pm and in the “quenching stage.”
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The Truscotts Rd fire, which had burned through about 100 meters of a grass bank next to the train tracks, is believed to have started with sparks from a passing train.
Chris Skelton / Stuff
Firefighters buffer hot spots after a lawn fire on Truscotts Rd, Heathcote, in Christchurch Thursday afternoon.
Cole said a 30-meter fire beyond the line near Ensors Rd is also believed to have been started by the train.
KiwiRail had stopped the train and was investigating.
Approximately six fire crews and one tanker fought the Truscotts Rd fire at its peak, while four fire crews and one tanker handled the Brougham St. fire.
Cole said the fire was a reminder for Cantabrians to be vigilant and prepare for a “really dry summer.”
Heathcote City Councilor Sara Templeton said the fire hazard along the rail line in Heathcote Valley had been a problem for years.
Jack Fletcher / Stuff
Smoke along the train tracks in Heathcote Valley from a grass fire.
Residents had met with KiwiRail several times with concerns about “widespread undergrowth” of vegetation along the tracks, he said.
“In the driest climate, the taller weeds just stay. I know that people have contacted KiwiRail many times to ask for some work to be done.
“I will definitely call KiwiRail to ask [what happened] and put plans in place so that it doesn’t happen again. “
A spokesperson for Ara Polytech said there was no threat to its Woolston campus, located near the intersection of Brougham St and Ensors Rd.
The city council said Ensors Rd was initially closed to northbound traffic. The road was fully reopened shortly after 5 p.m.
Jude Tewnion / Stuff
Smoke can be seen along the railway line at Heathcote, Christchurch, on Thursday afternoon.
One resident said the entire Heathcote Valley was engulfed in smoke.
“It came up in minutes,” he said.
Heathcote resident Jack Fletcher said white smoke was visible near Ferrymead Heritage Park.
A resident of The Tors said she believed the fire started from sparks after a train passed through the area around 3:30 p.m.
Fire and emergencies New Zealand previously warned of a high fire risk in Canterbury due to warm temperatures and high winds.
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Smoke can be seen rising into the sky at the intersection of Brougham St and Ensors Rd in Christchurch on Thursday afternoon.
“If a fire occurs in these weather conditions, it is unlikely that we will be able to use aircraft to support our fire suppression efforts, so containing and controlling the fire will be extremely difficult,” Fenz said in a statement.
“If you have had a fire recently, we recommend that you check that it is completely off. This can be done by turning the sink over and running a little water over the ashes to make sure there are no hot embers. “
Records from MetService show the temperature peaked at about 21 degrees Celsius in Christchurch on Thursday afternoon, with gusts of northwesterly winds reaching 31 km / h.
A police operator initially reported that the Brougham St fire was in a building.
