Fires in Taranaki and Waitotara
Date: 05 February 2008
Several fires are burning in and around the Whanganui National Park and conservation areas between Aotuhia and Waitotara. The two main areas of activity in Eastern Taranaki have been burning since last Wednesday. These fires are under control but strong winds are making the task increasingly difficult. DOC fire fighters are continuing to tackle hot spots caused by burning logs and tree roots. There will be 2 fire crews of 4 as well as an Incident Controller working in Eastern Taranaki today. DOC will reassess the condition of the fire this afternoon.
A second fire adjacent to the Waitotara Conservation Area started last night. It appears the fire escaped from a permitted burn. To date only scrub and a small area of bush on private land has burnt but several large trees are on fire. These large trees are a potential source of sparks and embers which could cause the fire to spread into the conservation area. DOC will have a crew of 8 fire fighters in the area targeting burning trees. These will need to be felled and put out by the end of the day.
Conditions through the Taranaki, Whanganui and Manawatu regions are extremely dry. The recent fires show that it's dry enough for native forest to burn. There is a prohibited fire season at present which needs to be heeded as in current conditions even small fires can escalate and burn out of control.
Whanganui Area Manager Nic Peet said "The fire in eastern Taranaki is accruing considerable costs. In addition the fire has destroyed forest and would have threatened forest wildlife on a large scale had it not been controlled quickly"