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A major fire is burning in Christchurch’s Port Hills just days after another believed to have been caused by fireworks that forced dozens to flee their homes.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) received multiple calls about a fire in Galilee Lane, Clifton, around 11.30am on Tuesday.
Eight trucks were at the scene, along with tanker trucks and a command unit.
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A road is partially blocked because emergency services tend to a fire in Christchurch on Tuesday.
“People are being asked to stay away from the area for emergency services to work,” Fenz said in a statement.
Clifton Tce had closed on Main Rd, and more closures were expected in the area
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“Road users are advised to follow the directions of emergency services in the area,” the Christchurch Transportation Operations Team said in a statement.
Guy Bennett-Longley, who lives on nearby Moncks Spur Rd, said he could see two helicopters with buckets of rain.
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Another fire has broken out in Christchurch’s Port Hills.
A great deal of smoke was blowing towards Lyttelton and the fire seemed to be moving down the hill near the houses.
Heathcote Councilor Sara Templeton said smoke was visible from the main city hall building in the center of town.
“Residents in the area have been concerned about the risk of fire for some time and this is a timely reminder of those risks,” he said.
Tuesday’s fire follows another in nearby Hillsborough on Friday night, which burned about 70 acres and forced a dozen residents from their homes on Port Hills Rd and in the Avoca Valley area. They were allowed to return home on Saturday afternoon after the fire was contained.
The only structure destroyed in the fire was a barn owned by Kester Vos. Containing construction materials and equipment, it was completely destroyed. It was not insured and the material was worth about $ 30,000.
Fenz said on Tuesday that all of Canterbury would go into a restricted fire season beginning at midnight Wednesday.
It meant that a permit might be required to start a fire outside, and the permits might come with special conditions.
Canterbury Region Manager Paul Henderson asked people to abide by the restrictions and be safe from the fire.
“A 30 degree days are forecast for Canterbury later this week. This heat, combined with the dry and windy conditions, increases the fire hazard and the risk of a wildfire, ”he said in a statement.
Christchurch reached 23 ° C around 12:00 on Tuesday, and it was expected to be warmer later in the week, with a forecast of 27 ° C on Wednesday and 30 ° C on Saturday, according to the MetService website. .
“There have already been three major fires in Canterbury this fire season: Lake Pukaki, Lake Ōhau and last weekend’s Hillsborough fire in Port Hills.”
People needed to take fire risk seriously, he said.
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Helicopters with rain buckets are throwing water on the fire in Christchurch.
“Please don’t miss fireworks in Canterbury during the summer; it is too risky with the heat and extreme dryness of the area ”.
People also had to be careful when performing activities that could generate sparks, such as cutting or grinding.
“Under these conditions, a firework, or a machine spark, could easily start a wildfire that would quickly spiral out of control.”
ALDEN WILLIAMS / Stuff
Wildfire Manager Brian Keown monitors critical points at the scene of a fire in Hillsborough, Christchurch.
