KEY POINTS:
With Department of Conservation firefighters still at the scene of the huge scrub fire at Mahia, the final bill for tackling the East Coast blaze could reach $500,000.
Rural firefighters came from around the North Island to tackle the fire, which started on February 1 and burned through 140ha.
It destroyed eight buildings and caused the evacuation of 175 residents.
DOC spokeswoman Jill Hudson said it was the biggest fire the East Coast region had seen for some years.
Because it was deep-seated, firefighters were required to remain until they were certain all potential hotspots had been extinguished.
Thermal scanning had revealed a number of sites where deep, mature roots were still burning.
"Some hotspots are hard to reach, well underground, so are taking longer to put out," Ms Hudson said.
"In the current conditions, with high winds and high temperatures, it would be possible for them (the hotspots) to start up again."
Ms Hudson said the bill had reached $250,000 after the first week, and that figure could have doubled by now.
While firefighters had been working at the scene over the past two weeks, many of them had now gone home, leaving local crews to keep watch over the next few days.
A final thermal scan would be done before the last DOC workers left.
Ms Hudson urged locals to be vigilant over the next few days and to dial 111 immediately if they saw smoke or flames.
- NZPA
