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The fire in Manawatāwhi / Islands of the Three Kings was small but difficult to put out.
A fire in the remote Manawatāwhi / Three Kings Islands, north of New Zealand, is believed to have been lit by fireworks or a ship’s flare.
The islands are a wildlife sanctuary and home to the last three kaikōmoko wild kings, Pennantia baylisiana, the rarest tree in the world.
The tree’s rarity prompted local iwi Ngāti Kuri and Fire and Emergency to rush to put out the fire Sunday morning, Ngāti Kuri trustee Sheridan Waitai said.
RICKY WILSON / THINGS
Sheridan Waitai from Ngāti Kuri says that initially there were fears for the kaikomoto. (File photo)
The iwi now wants information on any ships in the area at the time, as the islands have a strict no-landing rule, he said.
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“They are not even meant to get too close. They have the entire ocean and someone obviously faced [the fireworks or flare] towards the earth “.
The fire was detected by a ship shortly after midnight, Waitaia said.
Four helicopters from the Skyworks private contactor were dispatched to the island at dawn Sunday and confirmed it was a small fire, he said.
Two helicopters stayed to put out the fire, which was 15 meters by 25 meters at its greatest point.
Bejon Haswell / Stuff
The helicopters have contained a fire on the same island as the world’s rarest tree, the kaikōmoko of the Three Kings. (File photo)
Fortunately, the fire was nowhere near the kaikomoko, which is the last of its kind left alive, Waitai said.
“Fortunately for us, it was on the linen, which is difficult to catch fire, but takes a long time to put out.”
The helicopters dropped a total of 55,000 liters of water to control the fire.
Due to the island’s uniqueness, the Department of Conservation helped wash the helicopters before the flight, to ensure no pests or stray seeds were accidentally introduced to the islands, Waitai said.
But the fire was a reminder of the beauty of the islands and the need for everyone to stay away, he said.
“If people could really be aware of biodiversity in these special places and not be too close; it is an important island for this country. “
Waitai said it has taken 80 years for the islands to regain their former glory after being decimated by introduced goats.
