Firefighters kept on their toes

Kaitaia's volunteer firefighters didn't see much of their workplaces or families on Tuesday.

Monday was relatively quiet, with a pre-dawn call to Juken NZ's triboard mill in Kaitaia followed a short time later by an ambulance assist, but Tuesday was a different story.

It started at 6.30am when the cab of a Morton Logging truck, heading north to Ahipara from Marsden Point, was engulfed in flames near the southern foot of the Mangamuka Gorge.

The driver noticed smoke pouring from underneath the rear of the cab and very skilfully managed to get the rig safely to a lay-by, Station Officer Ross Beddows said, by which time the fire was too big to be tackled by his extinguisher.

Fortuitously, Michael Kirtlan was carting water to Kohukohu, and coming upon the fire he used every drop of the 10,000 litres he was carrying to fight the blaze. Fire crews dampened down what remained but the cab was a total loss. The cause of the fire had not been established beyond doubt, but was believed to have been electrical rather than from a fuel line problem.

Just before 9am two Kaitaia appliances joined Ahipara in responding to reports of a large plume of smoke in the vicinity of Tauroa Point, west of Te Kohanga (Shipwreck Bay).

"When we got to Shipwreck Bay it was obvious that the full tide would prevent any vehicles from getting there for some time," Mr Beddows said.

"Even a quad was out of the question."

A fisherman ferried two firefighters to the general vicinity, about halfway around the rocks to Tauroa. They then went cross-country on foot the rest of the way, while two helicopters were quickly on the scene and got to work with monsoon buckets, taking water from the sea.

About two hectares of swamp, kikuyu and grass was burning behind the Tauroa baches, but while several out-houses were scorched and the flames reached the back doors of three baches, the helicopters saved them from destruction.

"The fire is known to have been deliberately lit, either as a campfire or to dispose of rubbish, and although it seems it was partially extinguished before the fire-lighters disappeared, embers, wind and the dry grass soon proved how stupid it was to light it in the first place, especially given that a total fire ban has been in place for weeks," Mr Beddows added.

"Two visiting whanau from Auckland tried to halt the fire's progress, but without a water supply it was a lost cause.

"The Principal Rural Fire Officer will be following up information in regards to this fire.

"A Karikari Fire Party crew were standing by when we left at midday, ready to go around the rocks with their truck once the tide had dropped to dampen down the hotspots."

There was more to come. At 1.20pm two appliances were dispatched to Kaiaka, where it transpired that another fire had been deliberately lit, this time to cook food thanks to a faulty chimney inside the house ruling out the wood stove.

"We all have to eat, but we suggested that an outdoor open fire was by far the worst of the back-up plans available, and that a barbecue be employed instead. The elderly occupants of the property helped extinguish the fire and no real harm was done."

As the appliances were returning to the station a medical assistance call was received, an elderly man having fallen at the Salvation Army Shop, injuring his back. Firefighters delivered first aid while the ambulance was busy at another call.

And one more. Two appliances responded about 5.30pm to what was described as a car fire in Pukepoto Road, Kaitaia. It turned out to be the remains of a car at the scrap/wrecker's yard adjacent to the old timber mill.

"Once again it was lit in defiance of the fire ban," Mr Beddows said.