Bay of Plenty shelter belt fire: Ten properties evacuated, crews monitoring hotspots

A vegetation fire near Tauranga that forced the evacuation of 10 properties is now contained with three crews monitoring and mopping up hot spots this morning.

Crews were called to a fire among shelter belts on Snodgrass Rd in Te Puna about 3.20pm yesterday.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) Assistant Commander William Pike said this morning crews worked through the night.

”We had a flare-up around 1am but our firefighters did a good job to control it very quickly.

”We expect to have crews on the ground for the rest of today. We ask people not to put drones up in the area, as that will interfere with our own drone operations and for people to stay away from the area so our crews can get on with the job,” Pike said.

Te Puna shelterbelt fire seen from the corner of Armstrong Rd and Snodgrass Rd, Te Puna. Photo / Alex Harrison

”There is less smoke in the area now, but if anyone is impacted by smoke, please keep your windows and doors closed, and turn off any air conditioning units.”

One helicopter, 16 trucks and pumps with multiple support vehicles and crews responded.

Ten properties were evacuated but were able to return home last night.

‘Pretty intense’

A Sunlive reader said on Wednesday there was a “massive lot of smoke right across the Minden.”

“It must be a massive fire.”

A Te Puna waterfront resident on The Esplanade said the wind was “pretty intense”.

“We can’t see the smoke from here, but with the wind we’ve had, it would have whipped up fairly quickly.”

Te Puna shelterbelt fire. Photo/Melissa Adlington

”I could smell the smoke and was getting covered in ash in our yard off Hewletts Rd,” a SunLive reader said, who first noticed the smoke and ash at 3.45pm.

“I knew it must be a fairly big one.”

In an update at 8.18pm Wednesday Fenz said the fire was contained and they were transitioning to the mop-up phase.

- SunLive