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Like winning the lottery, this is how a Lake Ōhau couple have described finding their pets alive and well days after they were separated by fire.
Coco the cat and Gladys the lamb.
Photo: Supplied
Residents frantically tried to find and bring their pets with them as they fled the embers and flames that swept through the town Sunday morning.
The fire destroyed or damaged at least 40 homes, razing more than 5,500 hectares.
Days later, the fire remains active, with around 17 teams working to manage the hot spots and secure the perimeter.
Three generations of the Hugh Spiers family and their pets fled the flames roaring across Lake Ōhau on Sunday morning.
They were staying at The Barn at Killin B&B, which he and his partner Dwayne own.
“Lala, the crazy cat. They dumped her with Holly and my mom, and left. We got Claude, our ginger cat, and Tay, our dog, and rescued them. We squashed them in the car here. But we just couldn’t find Coco and of course, you don’t think of a little lamb that is over there at the other end of the paddock and the paddock is on fire. You just have to leave it and hope for the best, “he said.
It was a terrible morning: the flames were rising towards the sky, reaching up to 15 meters.
For three days they were restless, not knowing the fate of Gladys, her month-old pet lamb, and her cat Coco.
They were unable to access your property in the bus convoy on Monday … it was still burning.
The devastation he left at The Barn at Killin B&B on Lake Ōhau.
Photo: Supplied
But on Tuesday night, they were allowed to return with a fire escort.
Hugh Spiers began calling out to Gladys in the dark.
“I could hear this little baa baa, and it was Gladys … I just ran in the dark and I could see this little thing flying towards me like a puppy. I just jumped to my knees and there she was … licking like a puppy and I had a bottle of milk formula with me and she swallowed it, “Spiers said.
“I was overwhelmed with excitement, but I think she was probably more excited to see me.”
But he couldn’t see Coco.
“I could hear Dwayne yelling ‘Coco, Coco’ … and I was like ‘have you got it?’ and he said ‘yeah she’s in the car’ Okay, let’s get out of here.
“Unbelievable … like a phoenix from the ashes, there were two of our little furry babies. We are so happy guys. We won the lottery last night.”
The Barn at Killin B&B before the fire.
Photo: The barn at Killin B&B
With all his pets safe, he and his family returned to the village today to see the damage in daylight and discover how Gladys had escaped from her pen.
He had pushed the door so hard it broke the latch.
Across the fire front, Quailburn beef and sheep farmer Grant Murray attempted to save his sheep during the intensity of the fire.
“We could see how bad the flames were and everything else. We started pushing the sheep in the same direction the wind was blowing, the same direction the smoke was going, just to get them out as fast as us.” . might.”
He lost 150-180 sheep out of around 2000 in that part of the farm, but said he was lucky to rescue as many as he did.
Back at Twizel, Fire Incident and Emergency Controller Rob Hands said other residents were hoping to find their beloved pets.
“One of the residents has lost his dog, Milo, and he’s been seen a couple of times. The last hour was around 10 am, find him,” Hands said.
Away from animals, insurance consultants have been able to access the area for the first time and have analyzed individual properties today.
Who gets what from the $ 100,000 government relief fund
Waitaki District Mayor Gary Kircher said the welfare response would continue.
“It’s the little things that make the difference and when you have nothing … Talk to a gentleman today who was glad he had a new pair of briefs today so it’s all about helping with basic needs in the moment.” Kircher said.
A public fund was sent so that people can donate to support the community.
Kircher said discussions had already begun about where the $ 100,000 government aid funds would go.
“One of the possibilities is that the upcoming rates will demand and help those people, especially if they no longer have a house. The Council may just have a referral, but in reality, that puts the various accounts in deficit, so instead doing so could potentially be used for that. But there are more personal needs and so on that we may be looking to help them with. “
The council continued to assess critical infrastructure, including water supply, sewerage, and roads.
More than 30 residents accessed their properties today, double the number who entered yesterday.
Fire damage in Lake Ōhau village.
Photo: RNZ / Anan Zaki
Civil Defense Controller Murray Linwood said work was underway to allow residents to return permanently, but it took time and they faced other challenges.
“One of them is the pollutants that we don’t know much about, the second is the roofing iron that is there, the third is the integrity of the water, the fourth is the integrity of the sewer system, so until all of those things can be marked, we’ll see later. “
Rob Hands was optimistic that they would soon have the fire under more control.
As of tonight, 9 percent of the perimeter is controlled at 50 m.
That means there are no hot spots within 50 meters, while the remaining 9 percent is controlled within 10 meters.
It will be good news for residents who are still looking forward to hearing about their pets, hoping they will have a reunion like Gladys and Coco’s.
Fire and Emergency said two teams would monitor the fire overnight along with drones to map any hotspots.
Crews will return to secure the perimeter of the fire, identify potential hazards and manage hot spots tomorrow.
