A bush fire in the Far North township of Ahipara quickly took off yesterday, a resident says, and resulted in 100 households being evacuated last night.
Photo: Facebook / Fire and Emergency NZ
Firefighters were called yesterday at 5.45pm to the Ahipara Gumfields Historic Reserve, where about 56 hectares of vegetation has been burnt. Late last night, Fire and Emergency said the fire was slowly spreading east.
Helicopters were stood down last night when darkness fell, but up to 60 ground crew kept working overnight to contain the blaze.
About 40 firefighters remain on the ground, supported by six helicopters.
Incident Controller Rory Renwick said some evacuees have started returning to their homes.
"We are now at a point where residents of Foreshore Rd up to and including Tasman Heights, can now return to their homes, provided they remain ready to evacuate if the situation changes.
"For the other residents, mainly those on Reef View Road, we will continue to review the areas around their homes and let them back in, when it is safe to do so."
He said crews were trying to keep the fire within the identified perimeter.
Fire and Emergency is asking people in the area to stay away from the beach and the fire ground, while their operations continue.
Far North district mayor John Carter told Morning Report things were looking mostly under control now.
"When the helicopters left last night there was a continuation of the spread of the fire, it probably had a front of one and a half to two kilometres at one stage and it was getting close to some of the properties but fortunately there's been no loss of life, damage or injuries."
Fire and Emergency spokesperson Paul Radden said there were places for evacuees to go to for assistance.
"We, with the assistance of police, had to evacuate approximately 100 houses and set up a welfare centre in the Ahipara rugby club and Roma Marae."
Photo: Supplied / Medadane Kipa
'It was getting close to some of the properties' - John Carter
Ahipara resident Medadane Kipa said the fire took hold very quickly.
"Our street, Reef View Road was one of the first to be evacuated because it goes up the maunga, but yeah I was cooking my dinner and I smelt the fire.
"When I came outside I thought 'woah that's not somebody's little back yard fire it's a fire fire' then the sirens started and the fire engines started arriving."
Photo: Supplied / Medadane Kipa
Kipa said it got bigger and bigger and came over the ridge of the hill.
"It wasn't long before ash started raining down, I'd left my bedroom window open and my bed is covered in it," Kipa said.
"I'm blown away the work the firefighters have done overnight, the fire is a lot smaller today and there's not as much smoke.
"The fact that houses didn't burn down is mind boggling because that was a big fire, it was raging."
Kipa's father runs a butcher in town so she dropped some meat at Roma Marae and Te Rarawa Rugby Club.
Photo: Facebook / Fire and Emergency NZ
Roma Marae spokesperson Tui Te Paa told Summer Times it had been a busy night for them yesterday, with about 70 people jammed into their wharekai.
She said there were a lot of families there and a lot of holidaymakers who were new to the area.
"As soon as we saw how big that smoke was, we started prepping for the marae to be open and then the call came from the district commander in Kawakawa to see if we would open up."
She said the smoke had eased compared to yesterday.
"[The fire] was huge, it was one of the biggest ones we've seen around here and the wind wasn't doing us any favours last night.
"It started about 5.30pm and then 10 minutes later it was out of control."
She said they were lucky not have lost any homes.