Chopper fights fire

A helicopter was called out to attend a beach fire in North Taranaki early on New Year’s Day.

A fire on the beach near Main North Road, Motunui, was reported to Fire and Emergency New Zealand about 6am on Monday morning.

Nigel Dravitzki, principal rural fire officer for Taranaki/Ruapehu/ Whanganui, said the helicopter was called in due to the inaccessibility of the site.

‘‘We got a helicopter just to try and take the energy out of it,’’ he said.

The helicopter and fire crews doused the fire for several hours on Monday morning and the crew went back to check the area Monday night.

‘‘We rechecked on it last night and there was still significant heat in there,’’ Dravitzki said on Tuesday.

‘‘It was burning for a significant length of time. The rocks were exploding and things like that. Once they get up to a certain heat they’ll pop.’’

Ground crews returned about 7am Tuesday morning for another few hours.

‘‘It was not a significant fire; it was one of those nuisance beach fires that are hard to put out because you get the sea breeze coming in and the rocks stay warm for a long time.’’

He said it appeared to be a driftwood fire that had spread in the sea breeze, but inquiries were ongoing.

‘‘We have so much driftwood in Taranaki on the beaches.

‘‘We suspect that someone has lit a fire on the beach and left it going.’’

Drought was declared in Taranaki on December 23, and a total fire ban is in place in South Taranaki.

Restricted fire bans are in place in the Stratford and New Plymouth areas, with a permit from Fire and Emergency New Zealand required to light a fire in the open air (with the usual exclusion of gas barbecues).