More than 100 firefighters, 12 helicopters and two fixed-wing planes are racing to suppress and contain the Port Hills blaze in Christchurch as strengthening winds pose a threat.
The fire was reported at 2.45pm yesterday on Worsleys Rd and by 7pm had spread over an area of 100 hectares.
It has now “breached into” the city’s adventure park.
Fire controllers confirmed around 8.30pm that helicopters had finished aerial firefighting for the night, but 23 crews of firefighters would continue to work on the Port Hills fire overnight.
At a press briefing at 3pm, Fenz region manager Brad Mosby said the fire was still not considered contained.
Mosby said the burn area was “significant” and there was no update on what could be its potential cause.
“It is a long-duration event, even if we brought the fire under control today it would take many more days for... mop up. We won’t be leaving the site until we are absolutely sure this fire is out,” Mosby said.
At 7.30am today, it measured 630ha with a 12km perimeter.
Mosby said it was clear the fire was going to be a” long-duration event”.
Fire retardant drops and buckets will carry on until dark and then again tomorrow.
“The fire has breached into the adventure park, it is still uncertain how far it has gone but we are working with management... there is no damage to any infrastructure at the park.”
Just before 7pm, Fire and Emergency Commander Dave Stackhouse confirmed that a dwelling appears to have been destroyed by fire on the Port Hills.
The loss was not immediately apparent due to the nature of the home.
Mosby said “there’s always the risk” the fire could spread as it did overnight. But crews were working extremely hard to make sure that no houses were damaged.
“We’re 24 hours into this event now and for our fire crews to be protecting those people’s properties and still not losing a home, due credit for those efforts.”
Fire behaviour experts were “working around the clock” to tell Fenz crews what was coming in terms of weather.
Firefighters were working 12-hour shifts and are being rotated out for breaks and food.
A meeting for affected residents was held at 7pm in Halswell.
Mosby commended the impacted residents for their quick movements and for working with emergency services during a challenging time.
People will be allowed to go home to check on animals or other urgent matters if needed.
Police incident controller Inspector Ash Tabb said police were continuing to work with Fenz and Civil Defence, supporting the firefighting efforts.
More staff will be working to help with the response.
Fenz and Civil Defence will lead the entry to houses for residents.
Civil Defence’s Richard Ball acknowledged the community who had been impacted and were facing a second night away from home with uncertainty about how long the fire will last.
Ball also praised the wider community for its support and all the firefighters and crews working in challenging conditions.
Ball added while the smoke may look like it is “diminishing” there was no room for complacency.
”Please don’t think it’s over... we are working very hard, but protection of life and property is paramount.”
Minister of Emergency Management and Recovery, and Police Minister Mark Mitchell said being out on the ground reinforced that the response to the fire was “world-class.”
Mitchell earlier went to survey the scene by air. He had “huge admiration” for the first responders working hard to contain the fire.
Mitchell attended a community meeting at 11am and said it was clear many people had anxiety and were affected by being part of the 2017 fire also.
He praised the “pragmatic” approach by Fenz and Civil Defence to allow residents access to homes to tend to animals and retrieve essential items.
Mitchell said the fire was complex, but the speed of the response put Fenz on the front foot to fight it.
The fire was currently spreading east, but that could change later when the southerly comes. A wind change could bring smoke towards the city.
Worsleys Rd was at the epicentre of the devastating 2017 fires. Wildfires burned through a total of 1600ha, destroyed nine homes and damaged another five.
It took 66 days before those fires were fully extinguished. One life was lost - helicopter pilot Steve Askin.
Many residents were evacuated last night and are anxiously awaiting news on their homes and when they can return.
It was confirmed this morning that, so far, no structures have been lost.
Dominique Leening was evacuated - for the second time in seven years.
She said this time around she felt very fortunate.
“We had plenty of time to get the pictures off the walls, get the pets out,” she said.
“There’s some chickens up there still but hoping they’re OK.”
Yesterday afternoon she was working from her Worsleys Rd home and hadn’t known a fire had broken out.
Her partner came home from grocery shopping and saw the fire on his way up Dyers Pass Rd.
They walked to the top of Worsleys Rd and saw flames. They packed up and left.
In 2017, the fire came close to their home – and with the hot, dry summer this year, they had been very wary “for a few months now and worried this might happen”.
“Those hills are so ridiculously dry,” Leening said.
The fires seven years ago were a very stressful time.
They were out of their home for a fortnight.
She praised the firefighters for their work – and was thankful for the police presence which is greater than last time.
Fenz and police said it was too early to say what caused the fire - which ignited almost seven years to the day of the 2017 blaze.
Fire Safety and police investigators were already working to ascertain “whether there is any human involvement”.
At 11am, Fenz Incident Controller Dave Stackhouse confirmed the fire had crossed Summit Rd and crews were working hard to prevent it from moving further, with retardants being dropped in the surrounding areas from fixed-wing aircraft.
“We are aware northwesterly wind gusts will be picking up from midday, so our main priority continues to be suppression,” he said.
The smoke billowing from the fire can be seen across the city and Canterbury district and Niwa said it was also visible from space.
Fire and police vehicles are moving steadily up and down Worsleys Rd - and authorities have begged the public to stay away so they can access the area without delay.
Inspector Ash Tabb said “disaster tourists” had been an issue, blocking roads and stopping vital equipment coming in.
They were also preventing residents from coming in and out.
“We just need people out of the way,” he said.
Tabb said the behaviour was driven by people “wanting to get shots on their social media accounts”.
Civil Defence Minister Mark Mitchell, who is in Christchurch and went up in a helicopter to survey the scene this morning, joined the plea for people to stay away and stop interfering.
“Allow Fenz and police to do their job,” he said.
Canterbury Civil Defence group controller Richard Ball reassured the community that everything possible is being done to protect them and said response and recovery in an emergency like this is very much a team effort.
A state of emergency was declared for Christchurch - including Banks Peninsula - and the neighbouring Selwyn District last night.
It remains in place.
Selwyn Mayor Sam Broughton and Christchurch Mayor Phil Mauger said emergency services “know what they are doing”.
“It is running extremely well ... we declared the state of emergency so the people who know what they are doing really have the power to do their best,” said Mauger.
Broughton thanked the frontline staff for their work and acknowledged the emotional toll the fire had on people who might be affected and urged those struggling to seek help.
“The fire is not a respecter of boundaries,” Broughton said.
“We are looking forward to this being brought under control.”
The Coastguard has also issued a plea for boaties to stay away from the western end of Lyttelton Harbour and Governors Bay as helicopters are using that area to fill their buckets.
Christchurch Adventure Park Limited director John McVicar told the Herald the fire had impacted the site but he was unsure how bad the damage was.
“To what extent I don’t know at this time,” he said.
“We’re completely devastated by it, especially after it’s only been a few years since the last one.
“We don’t have enough information really to have a good assessment of what’s happened. Until we do we will not be able to assess.”
“It’s really just left up to Fire and Emergency to deal with it the way they do.”
Two evacuation centres were set up yesterday but no one stayed there overnight.
Around 100 residents have piled into the Halswell library and community centre for a briefing from authorities which started at 11am.
The smoke plume from the Port Hills fire could still be seen from space this morning, Niwa reported.
With hot weather and wind forecast for the Canterbury region, Fire and Emergency is reminding the public to be extra vigilant.
Dave Stackhouse says hot and windy weather will create extreme fire behaviour if any new fires start.
“We ask everyone across Canterbury to take great care with any activities that could cause any sparks and start another fire.”
Anna Leask is a Christchurch-based reporter who covers national crime and justice. She joined the Herald in 2008 and has worked as a journalist for 18 years. She writes, hosts and produces the award-winning podcast A Moment In Crime, released monthly on nzherald.co.nz
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