Watch dramatic video of car driving through a bush fire as it jumped a highway near Tikokino. Video / Deanna Hoy
Dozens of firefighters and four helicopters were yesterday battling a forestry blaze which had spread to both sides of a main road through Central Hawke's Bay.
The fire was reported off State Highway 50 near Tikokino at 4.55pm on Monday, just as large teams of firefighters were starting to wind-down from a blaze reported at 1.18pm and which spread over about 20 hectares, less than 40km away further inland and between upper Wakarara and Makororo roads near the foothills of the Kaweka Range.
Hawke's Bay Today photographer Warren Buckland drove through the Tikokino scene while returning to Hastings from the first fire and said it appeared to be "uncontrollable" and was burning on both sides of the highway, a secondary route west of Hastings linking with State Highway 2 near Takapau.
Fire crews and volunteers work hard to curb the fire's progress. Photo Warren Buckland
The fire service said about 5.45pm that 12 trucks were at the Tikokino scene, with the likelihood of more resources as the alarm was elevated, on a day which continued the extreme temperatures in Hawke's Bay, where the 37.4deg maximum at Hawke's Bay Airport on Sunday was just 0.1deg lower than the 37.5deg recorded in Napier on December 29, 1994 - the hottest in Napier area records dating back to 1939.
Firefighters continued to dampen the hot spots around 7.10am today.
Metservice reported Monday peaks across Hawke's Bay were also well over 30deg, the peak at Hawke's Bay Airport being 33.3deg. Wairoa and Waipukurau each had peaks of 33deg, and the maximum in Hastings was 32deg. The maximum in Dannevirke was just under 30deg.
It was even hotter both north and south, with temperatures of 36deg of in the Bay of Plenty, and 35deg in South Island hotspot Ashburton, south of where temperatures cooled to 18deg in Invercargill.
Choppers are on the scene to assist the big scrub blaze. Photo Warren Buckland
Temperatures were expected to be similar on Tuesday but starting to recede midweek, with Wednesday peaks of 25-26deg in Napier and Hastings, and dropping further to 21-22deg on Friday.
With temperatures pushing past 20C overnight, some were finding unique ways to cool off.
Hawke's Bay Today reader Marilyn Corbishley said she was keeping cool by "putting my nightie in the freezer 10 minutes before going to bed" and using a cold flannel on her feet.
Ocean Beach surf lifesaving patrol captain Meg Barclay said the beach had well over 1000 people either side of the flags on Sunday.
Lifeguard Adrian Barclay said two rescues were made at the beach on Sunday.
The two people in their mid-20s who were swimming outside the flags were rescued by tube swimmers from a large hole which had developed between the breakwater and the beach, he said.
The rescues were performed by newly qualified life guards and "went smoothly", Barclay said.
The heat's also brought out the region's charitable side.
To the delight of locals, Napier City Councillor Api Tapine and his son took fish and chips to Ahuriri Wharf for the scores of children swimming there on Sunday.
