Loss of historic hut blamed on fireworks

Dutch tourist Jan Bokhove by the remains of the historic goldminer's cottage thought to have been destroyed by fireworks. Picture / Simon Baker

A 19th-century Chinese goldminer's hut was destroyed early yesterday in a blaze blamed on fireworks.

The hut, a tourist attraction in Arrowtown, was one of two serious fireworks-related blazes that stretched emergency services in Central Otago.

In the other, 100 people were forced to leave hillside homes near Queenstown as a scrub fire advanced on their properties.

At 1am, Steven Henderson and Karen Bisacre were asleep in their home. Five minutes later they were grabbing their cat, Puddy, their passports, toothbrushes and shampoo after looking out their window and seeing a scrub fire racing towards them.

"We were fast asleep and the guy came to the door and said, 'Be prepared to evacuate, look out your window', and we looked out the window and flames were just everywhere," Ms Bisacre said.

Mr Henderson and Ms Bisacre sheltered in the Queenstown Events Centre with other residents.

"We expected a disaster. It was a semi-miracle it [their home] was still here when we got back."

Helicopters used monsoon buckets and water from Lake Wakatipu to battle the fire from the air while about 30 firefighters fought it on the ground.

About 300ha of scrub was destroyed but no property lost.

Police took away several used fireworks found in an area believed to be where the fire started.