John Kirk-Anderson/Stuff
Most areas in Canterbury and Otago are at extreme risk of fire as a combination of hot temperatures, lack of rain and strong winds continue to drive up the threat on Easter Monday. Strong northwesterly gales potentially reaching 130 kilometres per hour have been forecast in exposed places throughout Canterbury throughout Monday. This triggered a severe weather warning from the MetService for the Canterbury High Country until 1pm on Monday and a strong wind watch for Christchurch and the Canterbury plains for most of the morning. Fire and Emergency New Zealand area commander Dave Stackhouse said Cantabrians needed to be cautious as the combination of hot temperatures, high winds and dryness made it very easy for a fire to get out of control.
The firefighters used hand tools and thermal imaging equipment to extinguish the remaining hotspots, and had the blaze fully contained about 4pm. Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) spokeswoman Jill Higgison said no properties had been damaged or threatened by the fire, and no injuries had been reported. It was unclear how the fire started and whether it was deemed suspicious, she said. An investigator was heading to the scene early on Friday to determine the cause.
Joseph Johnson/Stuff
Firefighters and helicopters with monsoon buckets work to contain a scrub fire in Clifton, Christchurch on Tuesday. The fire is the latest in a string of blazes across the South Island.
Port Hills fires: Ten suspicious fires in 10 days; fire chiefs ban fireworks
16 Dec, 2020 01:52 AM
4 minutes to read
A Christchurch fire has burned through 15 hectares this morning. Video / Zac Timms / Anne Marie Welton via Chris Lynch
A Christchurch fire has burned through 15 hectares this morning. Video / Zac Timms / Anne Marie Welton via Chris Lynch
Fire chiefs scrambling after a spate of fires on Christchurch s Port Hills hope an immediate fireworks ban and move into restricted fire season will help stomp them out.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) announced the fireworks ban, covering the high risk Port Hills, Akaroa and Bottle Lake areas and effective from 6pm, at a press conference this afternoon following a series of fires.
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