Smoke billows from the Kaimaumau fire during the January breakout. Photo / supplied
Smoke billows from the Kaimaumau fire during the January breakout. Photo / supplied
No one will be prosecuted over a Far North fire that took almost three months and cost more than $7 million to put out, according to a report into the devastating blaze released this afternoon.
The report, by Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ), found the fire was accidental and caused by a permitted land-clearing burn on private property that got out of control.
The Kaimaumau fire, also known as the Waiharara fire after a nearby settlement, ripped through 2800ha of a protected wetland and twice forced the evacuation of about 50 homes at Kaimaumau.
The fire started on December 18 off Norton Rd, at the southwest edge of the Kaimaumau wetland, and burned until early February.
It was Northland’s biggest, and most costly, fire in decades.
FENZ Te Hiku region manager Ron Devlin said a number of factors contributed to the spread of the fire, including heavy dry fuels, high temperatures and strong gusty winds.
“Fire and Emergency also investigated whether there were any grounds for prosecution, and we have determined that there is insufficient evidence to carry out any prosecution in relation to this fire,” he said.
FENZ Northland district manager Wipari Henwood said the fire was devastating for the local community and required an intense effort to put out.
“In total the fire consumed around 2800ha, more than half of which was conservation land. Residents had to evacuate twice but fortunately, despite such destruction to the land, no lives were lost. Firefighters fought the fire for 50 days before it was safe to hand back to landowners.”
Henwood said FENZ wanted to acknowledge not only the loss of personal property but also the psychological stress the incident had had on the community. Full recovery from such incidents could be complex and take years, he said.
Devlin admitted the investigation had taken a long time to complete.
“It’s important to us that we do a thorough investigation and take the necessary time to get it right. We appreciate the patience the community has shown, and we would also like to acknowledge those who supported the investigation and provided local knowledge and information. This helped us considerably in our work.”
In particular, Devlin acknowledged local iwi Ngāi Takoto and the Department of Conservation’s Far North team.
“We have been working very closely together, not just during the incident, but also to create a fire response plan specifically for this area locality, with its high wildfire risk. We are lucky to have such strong relationships in our area.”
The fire has yet to be officially declared out.
“While there’s no active flame or smoke at present, it could potentially be burning underground. We will continue to monitor the fire ground vigilantly over summer.”
Smoke blots out the sun on day three of the Kaimaumau fire, as seen from East Beach. Photo / Lisa Everitt
Figures released to the Northern Advocate under the Official Information Act showed fighting the blaze cost just over $7 million in the first three months.
By far the biggest share, close to $4.5m, was spent on “aerial services” or helicopters.
At the peak of the fire 11 choppers were in the air at once. Up to 80 firefighters were working on the ground along with bulldozers and diggers.
The Kaimaumau wetland is — or was — Northland’s largest surviving wetland and an important habitat for threatened species such as geckos, native orchids and birds.
At the time Forest and Bird Northland conservation manager Dean Baigent-Mercer called the fire “a tragedy on a national scale”.
Just over 950ha is designated a scientific reserve while another 2312ha is protected as a conservation area.
