‘Horror’ when a fire on Manawatāwhi Island off the Northland coast threatens the world’s rarest tree

A kaitiaki from the far north has described her horror after a historic fire on Manawatāwhi Island / Big Island threatened the rarest tree in the world.

Two Skyworks helicopters dumped 55,000 liters of water into the 15-by-25-meter fire that was sighted on the island, about 60 kilometers northwest of Cape Rēinga, by a charter boat around 9:30 pm on Saturday.

Helicopters took up to four hours to put out the fire, which was on the east side of the island, fortunately away from the kaikōmako tree (Pennantia baylisiana), which is believed to be the only one left standing and is among the trees most rare in the world.

Sheridan Waitai, a trustee for Ngāti Kuri, whose tribe was native to the island, did not sleep after hearing that the fire had started.

“[It was] just horror, we don’t sleep all night because we have kaikōmako, the rarest tree in the world on the island, “he said.

“It would have been devastating, just devastating [if we’d lost the kaikōmako]. “

It was the island’s first significant fire in more than a decade. Waitai said the last significant event to affect the island’s biodiversity was when whalers released goats and pigs onto the island before 1810 and again in the 1870s, as a food source for passing ships.

The fire was initially believed to be started by lightning, but subsequent investigations found it unlikely and the cause is still unknown.

Purchased by the Crown from the Maori in 1908, the island was considered a nature reserve in 1956 for the preservation of flora and fauna.

Waitai said that Ngāti Kuri, along with other scientific organizations, conducted a comprehensive study on the island to ensure its biodiversity was conserved.

“We know what is on the island intimately, so everyone is feeling quite sad and overwhelmed, but it could have been worse.”

She pleaded with anyone planning to sail or fish near the island to beware of fires or anyone with flammable substances.

“If there are boats out there, stay tuned and tell us if you have seen anyone with flares or fireworks.

“This was heartbreaking for us, but we are glad we were able to handle it and drown it.”

All unauthorized visits to the island are illegal, Waitai said.

He expressed his gratitude to the 4th Generation service members, Skyworks, Department of Conservation and NZ Rural Fire for their support.

Four helicopters were initially dispatched to Te Rerenga Wairua in anticipation of a larger fire, however only two were dispatched to the island. Members of the Kaikohe Volunteer Rural Fire Force had been notified in case the fire required attention on the ground, but they were not required.

Northland Rural Chief Fire Officer Myles Taylor was glad the fire was extinguished without the need for ground troops to ensure a small alteration to the island’s biodiversity.

He also said it was the first fire he knew of on the island in a decade.

“It’s very rare, but also because of the biodiversity, it certainly draws attention.”

Other weekend fires in Northland included trash fires that were illegal, given the total fire ban in place for Northland effective December 30.

“It’s extremely frustrating, people just seem to be either completely ignoring the fire ban or completely oblivious to it, which is amazing because we are in the middle of summer,” Taylor said.

“It’s extremely dry and for people to say they didn’t know there was a fire ban, it wears down a bit because it’s not difficult to do.”

A large fire at the Gumfields Historic Reserve in Ahipara on Tuesday resulted in the evacuation of more than 100 homes.

Taylor said a drone flying over the site a couple of days ago discovered that the last access points had been damped. The fire was still being treated as a suspect and under investigation.

Taylor had hoped to do kōrero with the community in the days after the fire, but said he had been too busy dealing with other fires.

However, Taylor said he was unaware of fireworks-related fires over the New Year in the Far North, which was a positive sign.