Suspicious scrub fires in Ruakākā leaves Northland firefighters exhausted

Police have been assisting Fire and Emergency staff to investigate into the multiple suspicious vegetation fires in Ruakākā.

A series of scrub fires deliberately lit in the early hours of the morning at a remote reserve in Ruakākā have left volunteer firefighters stressed and tired.

Multiple fires have occurred on the land between Sime Rd and Marsden Point Beach in recent months, the latest at 2am on Monday.

Ruakākā firefighters were called to the area after Fire and Emergency NZ received a report of trees on fire.

On arrival they found multiple fires - one measuring 100m x 50m and two around 20m x 10m - and transmitted a second alarm.

The fire went to a third alarm at its peak and more than 30 firefighters from Whangārei, Waipū, Ruakākā, Portland, Paparoa, Mangawhai, Maungakaramea and Hikurangi attending.

By 5.43am the fires were out and the crews had left. Around 4ha of scrub land which once used to be part of the unused Marsden B power station had burned.

The fires follow another callout in the area around 2.30am on Sunday. Ruakākā deputy fire chief Bryce Imms said that scrub fire had been nearly the size of a rugby field before firefighters from Waipu, Mangawhai, Paparoa and Maungakaramea were able to extinguish it.

Fire Investigator Craig Bain said confirmed the fires were being deliberately lit but how they started was yet to be determined.

“It’s too early to say if there is a pattern here. But we are looking into it with the police.”

Ruakākā fire chief Warren Marshall said the continuous early callouts had left most attending volunteer firefighters stressed and tired.

Firefighters doused the fires in four hours.

“It’s not easy for us. Events like these don’t really give you much time to recover your energy.”

Marshall said many of the volunteers had full-time jobs they then had to go to.

Fenz Northland manager Wipari Henwood said arson put an unwanted toll and risk on volunteer firefighters, who took time out of their lives to help the community.

He said the Ruakākā scrub fires were a perfect example of how the wider network of volunteers belonging to different brigades was impacted when they could instead use their resources to serve their local communities.

Northland area manager Wipari Henwood. Photo / Michael Cunningham

Places like Omapere, Rawene and Kāeo - among others - were too short-staffed to respond to many callouts, he said, so relied on the help from bigger brigades.

Henwood said there were currently 42 volunteer stations and 825 active volunteer firefighters doing good work in Northland.

He hoped the public followed the rules surrounding the restricted fire season to help their firefighters focus on the urgent and life-threatening callouts.

A police spokesperson said they were investigating the suspicious vegetation fire and making inquiries.

Avneesh Vincent is the crime and emergency services reporter at the Northern Advocate. He was previously at the Gisborne Herald as the arts and environment reporter and is passionate about covering stories that can make a difference. He joined NZME in July 2023.