Fire and Wilding Conifers in New Zealand Fire and Wilding Conifers in New Zealand House on Pukaki Downs that avoided fire due to large, low-cut green lawn Wilding conifers infest over 1.8 million hectares of New Zealand. The spread of these self-sown trees has a dire effect on natural ecosystems and creates severe implications for fire control. Historically, New Zealand has had low wildfire frequencies. However, due to climate change, wildfires are becoming more rampant; and last year’s fires on the shores of Lake Ohau and Lake Pukaki were a sobering reminder of the devastation fire can c...