Fire ‘sparked by farmer’
Claims blaze began on dry fields as people flee homes
Afarmer ploughing his field on Tuesday afternoon allegedly sparked the massive scrub fire rampaging across the Nelson region. Helicopters are attacking the 1870ha fire, spread across 20km, from the air as Civil Defence declares a state of emergency and more than 170 homes have been evacuated or self-evacuated.
The fire was sparked by a farmer discing his dry fields at around 2pm up Pigeon Valley near Wakefield, about 30kms south of Nelson, at around 2pm on Tuesday, the Herald has been told by multiple sources.
“Within five minutes, the whole side of the field had gone up in flames,” one local said.
Meanwhile authorities are investigating reports another fire has broken out nearby in the Mapua/ Rabbit Island area.
The fire has spread over hundreds of hectares, causing residents to flee northern valleys, Redwood Valley and Eves Valley. It is feared there may be homes lost, but that is yet to be confirmed.
Pigeon Valley residents spoken to by the Herald said they selfevacuated about 6am yesterday after the wind changed direction
“When we started seeing flames, we thought we better go,” said the resident, who did not wish to be named.
They grabbed some pets and clothes and headed for the safety of nearby Wakefield, where an evacuation centre has been set up.
They had offers of accommodation from friends but were electing to stay close, in case the cordons lifted.
“We’ll hang close tonight. Hopefully we get back in soon. It’s a pretty nervous wait,” she said.
Tactics yesterday included a “massive air attack”, involving more than a dozen helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft, and also heavy machinery on the ground to create fire breaks.
About 170 properties have been evacuated in the Tasman District as a fire rages out of control near Nelson.
The blaze has been declared a Civil Defence emergency.
“This was extreme fire behaviour, there was no way we could stop this fire,” a Fire and Emergency incident controller Ian Reade said.
The New Zealand Defence Force had stepped in to assist providing a RNZAF C-130 to fly police and fire personnel from Wellington to Nelson, and three fire trucks and seven firefighters. Police inspector Zane Hooper said people who have not been evacuated should make sure they have access to radio or cellphones that have the ability to receive messages and updates through media.
“This is a fast-moving situation,” Hooper said.
Police had about a dozen staff working on Tuesday and overnight went door to door warning of areas being evacuated. Nelson Tasman Civil Defence group controller Roger Ball said anybody evacuating should take essential items, including food, water, clothing, medicines and pets. Tasman Mayor Richard Kempthorne said at 8am they had declared a Civil Defence emergency.
The declaration gave authorities at work powers to “do things they need to do“, Kempthorne said.
Due to high temperatures, dry soil and vegetation, fire risk is extreme in Northland, Coromandel, Nelson, Marlborough. A total fire ban is in place for these areas.
Fire risk is also high and fire restrictions are in place in Auckland, Hawke’s Bay, Bay of Plenty, Central North Island, Wairarapa, Southland/ Otago and, as of January 29, North Christchurch.