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Firefighters are still fighting to stop a massive brush fire that has been burning since Sunday in Mackenzie Country, but overnight severe weather has helped their efforts.
The fire seen over Lake Pukaki on Monday night.
Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Snow and heavy rains battered the area overnight, bringing in more moisture to moisten flammable materials in the path of the fire and helping those on the front lines trying to control the fire.
By late Monday, the fire near Lake Pukaki had burned around 3,500 hectares of mostly wild pine trees, and during the night it continued to create a red glow that can be seen for many kilometers.
Mackenzie Emergency Operations Center spokesman Chris Clarke said an expected drop in high winds, dropping temperatures, and a forecast of rain and snow expected to start Monday night should help return balance to firefighters.
“Those strong winds have certainly dropped a little bit [through Monday evening] the forecast … there may be some rain, even a little snow, which is not good news for most people, but great news for people fighting a fire. “
Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
Clarke said Morning report that while it was still too early to say that the fire was contained: “Everything is in place to keep the fire contained.
“The intelligence we have is that the fire is contained within its perimeter.”
No helicopter would fly today due to “snow-laden cloudy skies”, but the wind that blew away was a great help.
Ground crews will continue to do their job protecting any property and keeping the fire within its perimeter, Clarke said.
The wind yesterday was blowing the fire away from the eight properties within the fire zone, so they were no longer considered to be under any threat.
Bulldozers have created a firewall.
I was hopeful that SH8 would reopen today, at least to the residents of Mt Cook, but possibly to the general public.
There was blackened land around NZ Alpine Lavender, but the well-known property has been spared, he said.
The Pukaki Scientific Reserve has been extensively damaged by flames.
According to a report by Landcare Research, the bush land in the Pukaki Scientific Reserve is the only home to a nationally endangered moth.
However, Fire and Emergency says that despite the damage to the reserve, good progress was made Monday in efforts to control the fire and defend properties and structures in its path.
One hundred and fifty firefighters were working at the scene Monday, with crews that included 18 helicopters, two planes and five excavators. Another 25 support people were also based on Twizel.
Photo: RNZ / Nate McKinnon
