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Increasingly dry tinder conditions and strong winds have Canterbury fire crews on high alert for what is expected to be another scorching week.
Firefighters will continue to patrol the scene of a fire that swept 20 acres and forced dozens to flee their homes in Port Hills above Christchurch on Friday night.
The city is potentially into another week of hot and dry weather with MetService forecasting an average high of 29 degrees Celsius. Wednesday is expected to be the warmest with a high of 30 ° C.
New Zealand Metropolitan Fire and Emergencies (Fenz) Commander Dave Stackhouse said firefighters would discuss Monday whether to move the city to a restricted fire season given the increased risk of a major fire.
ALDEN WILLIAMS / Stuff
A barn owned by Kester Vos was the only structure destroyed in the fire.
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The lack of rain coupled with the warm winds was drying the soil in much of Canterbury and creating a large amount of dead plant material, which could fuel fires.
“We are approaching those thresholds in which we are facing a [fire season]. “
A restricted fire season means that a permit is required to start a fire. The permit may be subject to special conditions.
ALDEN WILLIAMS / Stuff
Firefighters were looking for hidden hot spots that could burn in the roots of trees.
Stackhouse said there were several steps residents could take to mitigate the risk of fire on their properties.
Every home should have an escape plan and should keep gutters clean, clear your property of any dead material, and keep grass cut.
“Many houses catch fire from the transportation of embers, not from direct burning.”
ALDEN WILLIAMS / Stuff
Firefighters keep an eye out for hot spots.
Rural residents should also have a plan for their animals and make sure there is enough space for firefighters to enter.
It was vital to have a plan because when a fire occurs “it is too late to react.”
Fenz staff worked at the Port Hills burned site until 1:20 p.m. Sunday.
Fenz spokesman Mau Barbara said a team periodically patrolled the area until Monday night to make sure nothing was ignited.
ALDEN WILLIAMS / Stuff
Kester Vos owns the scorched earth.
Stackhouse said Fenz was still investigating the cause of the fire and could not confirm what happened until next week.
About a dozen residents were evacuated from Port Hills Rd Friday night and about 20 were evacuated from 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, Stackhouse said.
Vos said the fire broke out about 50 meters from his home in his 8.5ha lifestyle block.
ALDEN WILLIAMS / Stuff
Fenz wildfire manager Brian Keown says embers carried by the burning trees were in danger of spreading the fire.
He said the barn, which contained construction materials and equipment, was completely destroyed. It was uninsured and the material was worth about $ 30,000.
He said the area around his home was still burning in a pine plantation Sunday.
“That is to be expected. The fire service did an amazing job. I can’t thank you enough. “
The fire started around 11:30 pm on Friday.
ALDEN WILLIAMS / Stuff
The vegetation of Port Hills is scorched by fire.
Two helicopters with rain buckets and dozens of firefighters battled the blaze overnight Friday, with some flames visible at 7 a.m. Saturday.
Vos said neighbors told her the fire was started by people setting fireworks near the concrete water reservoir above their home.
“At first they told me that some young people were doing fireworks. They were quite loud explosions and I could hear them from my house. Many locals heard the fireworks.
“It was after the fire started.”
Stackhouse said authorities were looking at all possible causes and had not ruled out fireworks.
“We are working with the police on that. We will have more information next week ”.
A police spokesman said no charges had been filed in connection with the fire.
“The police have spoken with several people who were in the area when the fire started and investigations are continuing.”
Fenz Wildland Fire Manager Brian Keown helped fight the fire on Friday night and Saturday morning. He said the flames reached 30 meters when some trees lit up.
“The teams did a great job in the dark.
“It was very hot there.”
Keown said people needed to be vigilant as the vegetation began to dry out.
NIWA’s latest seasonal outlook predicted that the Canterbury coastline and eastern Otago would have above-average temperatures this summer and below normal rainfall.
The forecast predicted a 70 percent chance of warmer weather and a 35 percent chance of below-normal rainfall.
Friday’s Port Hills fire followed several suspicious brush fires in the hills early Wednesday morning.
A police statement issued Thursday said there were reports that a flare was seen and that investigations are continuing.
For more information on fire safety and your current fire season, you can find it here.
