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Four fire crews will remain at the scene of a major fire that left a Portobello home uninhabitable and led to the evacuation of several nearby properties.
While the fire was brought under control at 7:30 pm, strong winds mean that the threat of more outbreaks remains possible overnight.
A total of 28 residents from 14 households were evacuated to Portobello’s Coronation Hall.
Otago Civil Defense and Emergency Management provided them with a meal and accommodation has been arranged for those unable to return home.
Evacuees would have access to their homes at 8 p.m., although a spokeswoman for Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) said nearby houses had suffered smoke damage and some people would likely choose to seek other accommodation for the night.
Earlier, a Fenz spokesperson said teams were called to the “big event” site on Beaconsfield Rd in Portobello around 4.30pm.
A large house and neighboring macrocarpa trees caught fire, he said.
Fire Incident Controller Pete Douglas said it appeared that strong winds had dropped a power line, where a fire had potentially started.
The wind had carried the flame into a house that was then completely engulfed in fire.
The house involved suffered 90% fire damage and was no longer habitable, Douglas said.
No one was injured in the fire and the family who lived in the house had been evacuated.
Property owner Heather Morris said that she and her husband Warren had bought the house in 1989 to live in, but had rented it in recent years.
The fire had spread to the macrocarpa trees on the edge, destroyed the outside shed and totalized the house.
“It is absolutely devastating.”
A young family and their three children were tenants in the house.
“They have lost everything, absolutely everything.”
The fire invaded neighboring properties, but all the surrounding houses had self-evacuated, Douglas said.
No other houses were damaged by fire, but the large amount of smoke had damaged nearby houses.
Otago’s Civil Defense and Emergency Management advised residents to go to the Portobello Coronation Hall or the Portobello Bowling Club if they need help.
Four fire crews were working to try to protect two neighboring properties and overcome “spot fires” that had the potential to be started by the wind.
Strong winds make fire fighting extremely difficult, he said.
Douglas said crews are likely to remain at the scene overnight, as strong winds mean outbreaks are likely.
A fire investigator was heading to the scene from Invercargill.
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