Firefighters hold flames back
Flames from the raging Nelson bush fire came within metres of houses on Redwood Valley Rd, but a heroic effort from firefighters beat them back.
Half a dozen houses on the hillside road were surrounded by flames on Tuesday night. Just how close the fires got was evident on Wednesday with fields and hills burnt black and fences and letterboxes still smouldering, metres from houses.
Volunteer support officer Peter Holland said there had been a series of spot fires separate from the main blaze which had flared up during the night.
‘‘With the high winds we had, it just dropped little hotspots and they flared up everywhere.
‘‘They got very close, right round the houses, crossed boundary fences, right down to the driveways.’’
Fire and command crews continued to operate through Tuesday night where possible to keep the fires away from houses.
‘‘It was just a massive effort getting people out, making sure they were safe, dealing with spot fires as they were happening, and figuring out where the main fire was going.’’
While the immediate danger had passed since the evening, crews were still working hard to prevent more flare-ups.
A crew from the Mapua Volunteer Fire Brigade were working with a tanker on Redwood Valley Rd on Tuesday night, but had to retreat after winds became too unpredictable.
Senior station officer Aaron Thawley said it was ‘‘amazing’’ to see all the houses still standing when they returned in the morning.
‘‘Last night we had to pull out, it was just too dangerous, the fire was coming over the hills – it was too dark and unpredictable.’’
The Mapua crew returned early in the morning, with the weather giving an opportunity to better protect the houses.
‘‘It is a daunting task but you just take it chunk by chunk and eventually you get through these things – there’s always a way.
‘‘We thought last night it was a slightly more dire outcome than what we’ve come across, so we’re pretty stoked.’’
While the houses on Redwood Valley Rd were safe so far, Fire and Emergency New Zealand Tasman area commander Grant Haywood said they were still confirming how many properties overall had been damaged.