Lake Ōhau fire destroys more than 5000ha and leaves 46 houses uninhabitable

Firefighters will work through the night to deal with any outbreak after a massive fire on Lake Ōhau destroyed 5,360 hectares and damaged 46 homes.

New Zealand Fire Incident and Emergency Controller (Fenz) Rob Hands said a drone equipped with an infrared camera would be deployed Monday night to search for access points along the perimeter of the fire.

The fire broke out early Sunday morning and spread rapidly through the lakeside village, located near Twizel in the Waitaki Basin.

It was contained Monday, but crews would work through the night to deal with any outbreaks that threatened properties that escaped damage Sunday, Hands said. The helicopters and ground crew would go back to work at first light.

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Earlier Monday, Fenz Incident Controller Graeme Still told the media on a tour of Lake Ōhau Village that the fire was the largest in terms of destruction in its 40 years of firefighting.

Fenz Te Kei regional manager Mike Grant said it had been a great firefighting effort.

“You have to really be on the button,” he said.

He said the gullies around the hills acted like a chimney, which meant there was very little fire suppression.

“When we get to areas where the trees are standing, we are talking about 50, 80, 100 tons per hectare, what it does is increase the intensity of the fire and makes it more difficult to put out.”

Even earlier, he revealed that the fight against the fire was going well.

“Fire is what we call content, and we are on top of it, but never say never with these winds.”

The media bus tour followed an announcement that the Government would provide $ 100,000 as an initial contribution to help those affected by the fire.

Civil Defense Minister Peeni Henare announced the fund by offering his thoughts to residents.

“What we have just witnessed is completely devastating to the people of this community,” he said.

“All the feedback we have received from Fenz is that this is an important event.

“We will work closely with the mayor here and the Waitaki district council on an ongoing basis and will assess their need, intervene and support where we can.”

Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage acknowledged the “devastating loss” for residents and homeowners at Lake Ōhau.

She described seeing cars “with melted tires, bunk frames and houses completely destroyed.”

Approximately 1,800ha of conservation lands were affected by the fire.

He said land management “had to be examined” given the changing climate.

“We need to be smart in the future.”

Waitaki District Mayor Gary Kircher described the event as “absolutely devastating” for the community, but said many people were already talking about rebuilding.

It was a “minor miracle” that no one was hurt.

“The reality is that another 15 or 20 minutes could have been a very different story.”

Kircher had already heard several stories of heroism, including a man who woke up with his dog around 3 a.m. Sunday.

“He got out, opened the door and saw an orange wall coming towards the village, he fired and set the village alarm and that helped get a lot of people out of bed and then residents went door to door to make sure everyone they were conscious and could get out.

“Actions like that that have helped save lives.”

Kircher said the community response showed a “pretty good presence of thought.”

“It is a testament to the community’s plan for such an event … they were well prepared, they had done their internships.

Graham Smith, Mayor of the neighboring Mackenzie District, said the Twizel community’s support for homeowners affected by the fire was “absolutely wonderful.”

“More than 100 people ended up staying in Twizel from aldeahau lake village overnight.

“This fire is in the Waitaki patch, but it is much bigger than the Pukaki one a few weeks ago. That one spread around 300ha, this one has spread around 1600ha.”

Smith said that some farmers had lost livestock and many houses were destroyed.

“It is a great loss,” he said.

MetService spokeswoman Melissa Oosterwijk said gusts in the area overnight on Sunday reached between 60 and 65 km / h and there was no rain.

MetService issued a strong wind warning for Canterbury High Country Monday from 10am to Tuesday 9am.

At 6.40 am, nearby Lake Pukaki was already at 16 degrees Celsius.

‘Monster Orange Maelstrom’

Those behind a bed and breakfast business in Lake Ōhau confirmed in a Facebook post on Monday that they had lost their home.

The Barn at Killin said the family running the business was safe and being cared for by friends.

Owner Hugh Spiers said Stuff the experience was like many horror movies in one.

“The smoke, the heat, the sparks, and the unfamiliarity, but yet in the back of your mind, there’s a ray of hope that says ‘oh, this will be fine in the morning.’

“But is not.”

The Facebook post said that “the family’s home and business and a lifetime of memories are gone apart from the clothes we are wearing.”

“The dream escapes me and I cannot shake the taste of smoke from my mouth or close my eyes without seeing a monstrous orange maelstrom roaring towards us.”

The post thanked friends, the community, and guests around the world for their messages of support.

Spiers said he was trying to stay positive after the fire.

“Where are my glasses, where is my watch, where is my wallet, is everything burned,” he said.

“You can’t buy underwear at Twizel … you can buy socks, but you can’t buy underwear.”

Resident Help

The Waitaki Emergency Operations Center was working with those affected by the fire to determine their needs over the next few days and weeks.

Three buses full of owners were brought in to see the damage for themselves Monday afternoon, while residents who needed to retrieve essential items from properties in good repair could register to be escorted to and from their homes starting Tuesday.

Managed access would be for urgent essential purposes, such as merchants retrieving tools or people in need of medicine.

Access would be available between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. as long as conditions are safe for entry, Hands said. Residents will be transported in and out in a Fire and Emergency vehicle.

“We appreciate how eager people are to go home or retrieve their personal belongings. We are providing accompanied access as an intermediate step,” Hands said.

Affected residents received food stamps, access to emergency medications, and all received accommodation on Sunday night.

Incident Controller Murray Linwood praised those affected for their evacuation effort.

He also thanked the Mackenzie and Waitaki communities for their offers of support.

Coast Guard Support

About 10 Coast Guard volunteers from Tekapo and Twizel spent a grueling 12 hours on wind-ravaged Lake Ōhau on Sunday, and the same numbers returned to the water with first light Monday to continue supporting helicopters fighting the fire. .

Coastguard Southern regional manager Cheryl Moffat said they were looking to bring in a relief team from other parts of the South Island to take over the two boats on the lake that are keeping an eye on the helicopter pilots.

“It is quite difficult for the volunteers, because the wind is strong and the lake is very rough,” he said.

The wind had caused waves of up to 4 meters in some parts of the lake.

“They are happy to do it to help the community. But they have been out there for two days and we may have to be there another day. We need to think about their health.”

CAUSE OF FIRE NOT KNOWN

Network Waitaki CEO Geoff Douch said the lines company had been “on full blast” trying to help Ōhau locals and work with Fenz and other involved agencies.

“Any speculation about the cause [of the fire] it’s just that, speculation. We are working hard to assist Fenz in his investigations, “he said.