Ten helicopters and more than 70 firefighters fought two fires, the largest of which burnt out 200ha of forest at Kotemaori, 45km from Wairoa, at the weekend.
Damage from the blaze in Pan Pac Forest Products' Mohaka Forest was the largest forest fire in the region in nine years, could run to millions of dollars.
In the other, 5ha of riverbank was burnt out at Matapiro and firefighters feared that in the high winds the fire would spread further.
Nine helicopters and 50 firefighters fought the blaze in Mohaka Forest. It burnt out 200ha of 15-20 year old pine trees and a new planted 40ha block.
Pan Pac forest manager and principal rural fire officer Ed Saathof said the fire, which began late on Saturday, was not brought under control until yesterday. Fire crews would spend most of this week dampening down hundreds of hot spots on the block, which sits among another 20,000ha of forest.
As well as the helicopters from as far away as Gisborne and Palmerston North and firefighters, including Pan Pac and Department of Conservation staff and rural fire volunteers, five fire appliances, two bulldozers and three excavators worked to put out the blaze which was fanned by hot, dry winds of up to 60km/h.
A drop in the wind at dawn yesterday and a concerted attack by helicopters on high-priority areas prevented the fire from spreading any further.
Mr Saathof said he was pretty confident that the fire had been contained within its current boundaries.
Very light rain, probably not enough to be recorded, had fallen in the area and there were prospects of more before the end of the week.
He said a site investigation had not been done yet but it was believed the fire started at a logging site. The company was still to access the extent of damage but the losses could run into millions.
The 15-20-year-old damaged trees could not be recovered and used for either pulp or sawn timber because "they were full of charcoal".
Mr Saathof said it was the largest forest fire in the region since nearly 200ha of forest was burnt out at Mohaka in 1996.
Hastings District Council's emergency response manager Rene Londeman said a helicopter, six appliances and more than 20 firefighters spent nearly five hours putting out the fire at Matapiro, near Delegats Winery.
While firefighters contained it to the riverbank, strong winds had threatened to spread it further.
TOP STORY: Forest blaze may cost millions
AdvertisementAdvertise with NZME.