Tairāwhiti News Digest: Spark starts shed fire, rescue chopper callouts

A shed used for woodwork with native timbers caught fire and was all but destroyed on a property in Russell St on Sunday night.

A fire which destroyed a Gisborne shed over the weekend is believed to have started from sparks getting into its dust extraction system.

Firefighters responded to reports of a fire at a shed used for woodworking on a property in Russell St about 10.30pm on Sunday.

“We received the calls from neighbours and passersby,” a senior firefighter said.

“When the first crew arrived the shed was fully involved in fire.”

The Russell St shed fire was believed to have been started by a spark that got into a dust extraction system in the shed, smouldered away, and then caught fire according a senior firefighter.

The fire crews used breathing apparatus and high-pressure and low-pressure hoses to tackle the blaze.

“The shed was on the front boundary of the property and well away from other buildings,” the senior firefighter said.

The senior firefighter said the owner of the 9 x 7m shed used it for woodworking and working with native timbers.

“It’s believed a spark had got into the dust extraction system in the shed, smouldered away and eventually set fire to the building,” he said.

“The shell of the shed was still standing, but otherwise it was totally destroyed.”

The shed was taped off for safety reasons and the cause is not being treated as suspicious.

One of the Trust Tairawhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter team’s missions for last week was Thursday’s early-evening response to a motor vehicle accident at Whatatutu.

Five missions for Eastland Rescue helicopter

The Trust Tairāwhiti Eastland Rescue Helicopter was one of three helicopters dispatched as part of a multi-agency response to Sunday’s motor vehicle accident at Ohinepaka, between Wairoa and Mohaka.

The Gisborne team responded at 11.20am.

After treating their patient, the Eastland team flew them in critical condition to Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital.

The mission was one of five completed by the Gisborne-based rescue helicopter in the seven days from Monday, January 6.

The others were:

January 8, 11.30am: The team carried out an inter-hospital transfer from Gisborne to Auckland Hospital, transporting a patient who had suffered a medical event and was in serious condition.

January 8, 5.30pm: Soon after their return to Gisborne the team was dispatched to a trauma at Wairoa, flying their patient in stable condition to Gisborne Hospital.

January 9, 7.45pm: They responded to a motor vehicle accident at Whatatutu, flying their patient in stable condition to Gisborne Hospital.

January 11, 11.50am: The team was called to a medical event at Ruatoria, again flying their patient in stable condition to Gisborne Hospital.