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Drones have identified 200 hotspots on Matakana Island with firefighting expected to continue on the ground for several days.
The fire began on Saturday night and burned through about 37ha of scrub and pine slash on the island.
Firefighters spent their Christmas Day yesterday on-site battling the blaze.
Fire and Emergency’s specialist drone crew was working on Matakana Island overnight, using thermal imaging to identify hotspots around the perimeter of the fireground.
Fenz incident controller Jeff Maunder said thermal imaging from the drone flights had identified about 200 hotspots that would have to be dealt with.
All of the hotspots are inside the containment lines that were established on Sunday.
Maunder said ground crews and helicopters were back on the job this morning. Firefighters will be using handtools to dig out hotspots and expose any fire burning underground, then soaking the area with water to ensure it is completely cool.
“The work is complicated by the large number of dangerous trees, damaged or weakened by the fire.”
Maunder said arrangements were being made for additional crews and equipment to continue the operation for the next several days to ensure that the fire won’t reignite, before the fireground is handed back to the landowner.
Firefighters continued working on Matakana Island until dark on Monday night. Photo / Supplied
At 7.30pm yesterday, Maunder had said firefighters would continue working until dark when two crews would take over monitoring the fireground.
“Active firefighting will resume in the morning with crews on the ground and two helicopters waterbombing. ”
Maunder said the fire was “complex”, with areas where it was burning underground — for example in the root systems of large trees — as well as in the “duff layer” of partly decayed organic material on the ground and in living vegetation.
The fireground on Matakana Island at 6am on Christmas Day. Photo / Supplied
“There are pockets of vegetation and tree stumps that are still smouldering and could reignite if not fully extinguished.”
Maunder said people in Tauranga and along the coast could still expect to see and smell smoke from the fire over the next day or so.
He thanked Matakana residents who had dropped off baking and other supplies for the firefighters, and also the local ferry operator who had made extra trips to make sure that crews, vehicles and equipment could cross to and from the island.
“We really appreciate the support from the community. Everyone working on this fire has given up Christmas Day with their families. We’ve made sure they’ve had some Christmas treats today — they’re working hard — and it’s also good to know that the locals are right behind us.”
