‘Pretty Horrendous’: Fire Near Ahipara Spreads; Far North Mayor Fears for Homes Following Evacuation of 40 Properties

Dozens of residents have been evacuated from their homes tonight as a fire burns through the bush in the far north, fearing that houses could be destroyed by fire if the winds continue.

The fire started around 5.45pm in the Ahipara Gumfields Historic Reserve and spread rapidly through dry scrubland despite the best efforts of several crews and six helicopters.

Residents reported seeing flames of up to 40 meters as the fire crawled through bushes and into houses.

Approximately 40 properties on Reef View and Wharo Way were evacuated by police as a security measure.

Mayor John Carter told the Herald tonight that the helicopters had been removed (they cannot work in the dark) and that it was difficult to know what the fire would do overnight.

If the wind continued to push the flames towards the village, there was a risk that the houses would be destroyed.

“The unfortunate consequence … is that the fire is still spreading.”

The blaze had grown from an estimated size of 1.5 km to 2 km wide, he said.

Helicopters will return to work at first lights Wednesday morning and fire trucks will be on standby in case buildings need protection, he said.

He described the scene as “quite horrendous” and said some residents were worried about leaving their homes.

“Some did not want to evacuate, understandably, they wanted to be there to try to protect their homes. There is … great anxiety and concern.”

Carter said two evacuation centers, at the local rugby club and the marae, had been set up to help those in need.

Approximately 20 adults and 10 children, some in pajamas and with stuffed animals, meet at the Ahipara Rugby Club at 10:30 pm on Tuesday.

A band of volunteers, many associated with the club, are preparing food.

Members of Te Rarawa, the local iwi, are on their way with fruits and vegetables from their gardens, while Civil Defense is on their way with mattresses.

The club volunteers are waiting to know if the camp in Te Kohanga (Shipwreck Bay) will be evacuated. If so, it will bring another 200 people.

Dave Clark, who has a section on Wharo Way, said firefighters made sure everyone was removed from the area.

The fire burned towards the top of the hill behind them, but seemed to be spreading towards the coast.

Clark described the fire, which burned mainly through native bushes, as massive and said he had never seen anything like it before.

Clark said the helicopters were scooping up water from the ocean and throwing it on the fire. He said that there hadn’t been much rain in the area recently and conditions were quite dry.

Another resident, Justin Edgecombe, said the fire was being fueled by high winds.

“It’s a huge bush fire coming up the hill from behind [Ahipara]”he told the Herald.

“Where I was looking at it, it was very far away, but the flames seemed to be probably 30 or 40 meters in the air.”

Local resident Teuri Reihana, who filmed the fire from the beach earlier in the evening, said the smoke from the fire was “extremely dense.”

“It is one of the biggest fires I have seen here.

“It was so thick that you couldn’t see the mountain that was only 400 meters away.”

Reihana said it showed no signs of slowing down and remained visible later in the evening.

“I live two kilometers away and I can see the flames clearly from my house.”

Additional information: Peter de Graaf and Julia Gabel