A helicopter equipped with a monsoon bucket battles an earlier fire at Mangakahia Road, south of Kaikohe (file photo). Photo: Peter de Graaf
Volunteer firefighters have saved a Far North home surrounded by a wildfire that burned right up to the deck, a top firefighter says.
The blaze was in steep terrain off Mangakahia Road, about 30 kilometres south of Kaikohe.
The fire was contained at about 7pm.
It had covered about three hectares of steep terrain, starting in grass and spreading into mānuka and then uphill into a stand of tōtara.
Two helicopters and about 20 firefighters, from as far away as Whangārei and Dargaville, had brought the blaze under control.
Cooper said the property owners were fortunate there was little wind at the time - and that volunteers from Kaikohe Fire Brigade arrived in time to save their home.
"The fire's gone right up to the house, literally surrounded it, gone up the trees next to the house, through their veggie garden and up to the deck. They're very lucky.
"Great work by the Kaikohe firefighters, who saved the house," he said.
On Tuesday, a team of 20 forestry contractors would finish the job of mopping up and extinguishing the fire.
Cooper said it was not clear how the fire started but an investigator was due at the scene on Tuesday to find out.
The latest fire was less than 10km south of another blaze on 7 March that swept through 11 hectares of scrub and pasture, closed Mangakahia Road/State Highway 15, and destroyed a vacant school building at Awarua.
That fire took several days to put out.
Fire and Emergency NZ said the Awarua fire was caused by sparks from a grinder that was being used outdoors.
A total fire ban is in force across Northland due to the current tinder-dry conditions.
Some rain is expected later this week, but it was not expected to be enough to reverse the effects of an extremely dry summer.
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