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Becky Cates / Stuff
A 45 hectare fire continued to burn overnight in Cape Palliser, South Wairarapa.
Firefighters have managed to contain much of a large brush fire in southern Wairarapa that has been burning since Monday night.
About 30 firefighters are on the scene via two ground crews and two helicopter crews, Chief Rural Fire Officer Phil Wishnowsky said.
“We are fighting the elements and the wind is not helping at all. We are just trying to contain the fire, ”Wishnowsky said.
The fire started near Cape Palliser Rd, in the vicinity of the Cape Palliser Lighthouse.
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New Zealand Fire and Emergencies manager on duty Murray Dunbar said the helicopters were getting the fire under control.
“They have almost fixed it,” he said.
As of noon Tuesday, the fire was 30 hectares wide, with 90 percent considered “contained” and 50 percent “controlled.”
The fire was initially reported to be around 16 hectares in size at 8pm Monday night.
Dunbar said the fire grew “considerably larger” Monday night, expanding to 45 hectares and staying in size for most of the night.
Do you know more about this fire? Contact [email protected]
Carol Hawkins, who owns a vacation home on the coast of the fire, said she was concerned about her property Monday night.
Tim Ritchie / Supplied
The Cape Palliser fire could be seen from the White Rock Station Monday night.
“It was very scary. She got pretty close to the property, she was very worried that we would have to evacuate,” she said.
While the fire didn’t end up threatening her property, at one point her husband Trevor was asked to use his bulldozer to clear the way for fire trucks to pass.
I wanted to see a total fire ban in the area, rather than the current permit fire policy.
Piers Fuller / Stuff
Two helicopters battled the fire at Cape Palliser, Wairarapa.
“There are people who just don’t understand what that means … people light fires because they think they can,” he said.
“If we do a total ban on fires, maybe people will realize how dire the situation is,” he said.
Piers Fuller / Stuff
At one point, a local excavator operator had to clear a path for Fire and Emergency personnel to access the remote area.
There were no buildings threatened by the fire. The Cape Palliser Lighthouse and two buildings associated with the lighthouse are the closest structures and are not believed to be at risk.
Becky Cates / Stuff
The fire nearly tripled in size Monday night.
