Hawke’s Bay fire inquiry

Investigators have brought in an electrical engineer to assess if power lines were the cause of the blaze that burnt one house to the ground and left hectares of farmland blackened. The fire, which ripped along Hawke’s Bay Waimarama Rd on February 13, required crews from across the country to help battle it. It’s estimated the total cost of fighting the fire, plus repairing the damage, will top $1 million. Hastings District Council had agreed to pay all costs, then recover them from the New Zealand Rural Fire Authority, which would seek repayment from any party deemed responsible.