Firefighters face new enemy in blaze battle

Strong winds are the “biggest enemy” for firefighters bravely battling the monstrous blaze that has marched towards the township of Wakefield, near Nelson. The Wai-iti area just south of Wakefield was last night preparing to evacuate, meaning hundreds more could have to pack up their belongings, pets and loved ones and join a mass movement that has already displaced up to 3000 people. Nearly 900 properties were evacuated in the Wakefield area on Friday — one resident described it to the Herald as being akin to a “warzone” with smoke, helicopters and small planes looming overhead. As firefighting efforts persist in the face of a 2100ha blaze that had a 27km perimeter, Fire and Emergency New Zealand incident controller John Sutton said northerly winds were predicted to develop today to 40 to 50km/h, with gusts higher. “This is what is really worrying us, as I have said all along the wind is our biggest enemy.” Once the wind exceeded a certain threshold they could not risk putting firefighters in front of the flames, he said. “We can’t see and it’s too dangerous.” The 23 helicopters that were in action yesterday can only fly in winds of up to 50km/h. In the Wai-iti area there are estimated to be 170 houses in the prepare-to-evacuate zone, affecting about 450 people. Nelson Tasman Civil Defence incident controller Roger Ball said there was no end to the state of emergency in sight. The situation was dynamic and there remained a threat to life and properties, he said. While residents have publicly praised the firefighters on the frontline as their heroes it has still been an anxious and emotional rollercoaster for many. Diarmuid Brazendale is one Redwood Valley resident who nearly lost his home on Tuesday. “Our house is surrounded with black,” Brazendale said. “My 12-year-old girl was evacuated in a hurry and that’s hard as a dad to see your kid frightened. “You want to protect them.”