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Fire and Emergency / Supplied
The fire in Matawaia, near Pipiwai, has burned 178ha of slash and pine and continues to spread.
A bush fire in rural Northland is still spreading and forced a road to close, despite strong response from firefighters.
Five helicopters, two excavators, three bulldozers and 65 firefighters fight the fire in Matawaia, between Kaikohe and Pipiwai.
The fire started around 3:30 p.m. Thursday and several houses were evacuated overnight as a precaution.
On Friday, the fire increased from 120ha to 178ha and at 2pm it closed part of Pipiwai Road.
Fire lighting is prohibited in Northland.
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The road has several lifestyle blocks, but New Zealand Fire and Emergencies assistant area manager John Booth said the flames are about 1km from any home, and the wind is pushing the fire in the opposite direction. .
Fire and Emergency / Supplied
Five helicopters, two excavators, three bulldozers and 65 firefighters fight the blaze near Pipiwai.
The fire spread to pine trees near Pipiwai Road, and the road will be closed so the trees can be felled, he said. The road is closed from about 4 km east of the town and extends for about 150 m.
A firebreak is also being cut in the forest, but the containment lines are “loosening a bit,” Booth admitted.
Incident Controller Geoff Purcell said Fire and Emergency is working closely with residents and will notify them if risks increase.
“We are also encouraging people who live nearby to keep windows closed and stay indoors to avoid smoke.”
Earlier Friday, Booth said the homes were evacuated overnight just as a precaution, to protect residents from the smoke.
“The wind was blowing the fire into the houses and it probably looked pretty spectacular last night.”
The fire burns through logging, branches and cuttings left after logging, as well as two-year-old pines, he said.
Fire crews come from forestry companies and the Department of Conservation, and there are also volunteers from stations around Northland, including Paihia, Towai and Kawakawa.
Booth said conditions on the ground are dry, with winds fanning flames and heat from the sun.
“This is a major fire, there is no question about it,” he said.
“Any fire is quite destructive and this is the personal matter of someone who is being destroyed.”
Booth said an investigation into how the fire started has yet to be conducted.
Fire and Emergency is working closely with local iwi, who have been assisting the locals and the firefighting effort.
