SunLive - Te Puna fire evacuees returning home tonight - The Bay's ...
A large fire has broken out in Te Puna, Bay of Plenty, threatening homes and properties. Photo: Supplied / Chelsea Norman via New Zealand Proud.
Ten households evacuated in Bay of Plenty community Te Puna after a shelter belt fire broke out on Wednesday are returning home.
Fire and Emergency (FENZ) said crews were called about 3.20pm to "reports of multiple shelter belts on fire" near Snodgrass Road.
At 6.30pm, there were 16 fire engines at the blaze with multiple support vehicles, it said.
FENZ incident commander William Pike said the fire was contained within a very large perimeter of shelter belt.
Shelterbelts are rows of trees planted to provide wind breaks and improve micro climates.
"Even though we've had rain over the last day or so the internal vegetation within the shelterbelts is extremely dry so it literally takes off very quick," Pike said.
"We have one part of the sector inside that containment area that we've had an outbreak... into an area that borders onto an estuary, we can't put crews there at the moment in because the ground is unsafe, and that's where we managed to utilise our helicopter."
FENZ was working with partner organisations to ensure evacuees could return to their homes after the helicopter finished operations at 8.30pm.
"I'm very comfortable that we'll be able to contain and extinguish all hot spots overnight and we may end up going into the morning to be safe," Pike said.
"We've had damage to a shed as far as I'm aware that made it unsafe, but as far as private dwellings go there's been no damage."
Just after 9pm, police said residents were returning home.
FENZ and police were working to determine the cause of the fire, Pike said.
Newnham Park Innovation Centre managing director Ian Jeffrey said the fire was still flaring up above the trees at 5.30pm.
Photo: Supplied / Renee Adkins
Wind and the tinder-dry hedgerows were two reasons the fire was still burning, he said.
"The fire brigade will be there for a while," he said.
His business was near to Snodgrass Road, but he had not been worried about the fire getting out of control, he said.
"If your home is impacted by smoke, please keep your windows and doors closed, and turn off any air conditioning units," FENZ said.
Snodgrass Road is due to reopen tonight.
A manager at a Te Puna business said the fire was far from the village centre, but they could see smoke.
FENZ says if anyone in the vicinity of the fire has concerns overnight, they should dial 111.
-RNZ
