Christchurch Port Hills fire: Firefighters responding to large blaze
Fire crews are responding to a blaze in Christchurch’s Port Hills.
Fire and Emergency (FENZ) Canterbury says a vegetation fire was reported in the area of Worsleys Road, near Cracroft, about 2.15pm.
Ten helicopters and 23 trucks and tankers are fighting the fire and the public is urged to stay away and not fly drones, FENZ says.
Evacuations are underway and two evacuation centres have been set up.
A helicopter fighting the Hills fire on 14 February 2024 as seen from the Christchurch suburb of Somerfield. Photo: Mike O’Connor
Christchurch City Council says its Civil Defence and Emergency Management team are on standby.
Te Whatu Ora has issued a public health warning for smoke from the fire.
Power outages are being reported across the city and Transpower says the fire, burning under its power lines, caused circuits to trip at the Bromley substation.
The fire appears to have started in regenerating pine forest
Second fire in Port Hills not surprising, says ecologist
Victoria University of Wellington ecologist Dr Nicola Day said conditions in the Port Hills have been prime for a wild fire.
“It is not surprising that the fire started on the Port Hills today. FENZ has been warning us all summer about tinder dry conditions that will fuel fires and the winds today have really helped the spread.
“February, the end of summer, is when the vegetation is at its driest so that’s providing good fuel for a wildfire.”
Day said that following another fire in the Port Hills in 2017 the Christchurch City Council had been consulting with scientists about planting species that don’t burn easily and could hinder fire.
“This could reduce fire spread and its impacts on peoples’ homes and biodiversity. This event is a timely reminder of how we need to prepare for the combined effects of a warmer climate in conjunction with an El Niño year.”
Meanwhile, Shana Groff of the Scion Research institute has been collecting vegetation sample in the hills nearby to the fire to test their moisture content.
“I suspect the rapid spread of the fire has been largely driven by grass and gorse,” she said.
Groff and her colleagues are using samples to build a smoke and fire spread model which will help inform the efforts of fire crews.
She was also expecting to receive information this evening collected by satellites which measure hotspots.
Smoke seen from West Melton, about 25km away from the Port Hills
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon thinking of residents in the Port Hills
With Thanks Reference to: https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/509186/christchurch-port-hills-fire-firefighters-responding-to-large-blaze and https://www.stuff.co.nz/nz-news/350179673/port-hills-fire-live-residents-evacuating-large-fire-rages-above-christchurch
