Bay Harbour: February 22,

FREE Wednesday FeBRUaRy 22 2017 379 7100 Bay Harbour News Proudly locally owned and published by Star Media Brookhaven, Heathcote, Ferrymead ,Redcliffs, Mt. Pleasant, Sumner, Lyttelton, Diamond Harbour, Governors Bay, Akaroa Black Billed Gull Deb Beesley Your local hills and Bayside specialist. You’ll be sold! M: 027 280 8837 E: deb.beesley @harcourts.co.nz LICENSED SALES CONSULTANT REAA 2008 GRENADIER Baby born as fires raged Tiny Thea arrives after family evacuates • By Kurt Bayer AS GOVERNORS Bay resident Luke Thomas rushed his heavily-pregnant wife Jessica to hospital, leaping flames licked the scrub and trees above their harbour-side home. In the midst of the raging inferno enveloping the Port Hills, which has claimed the life of a decorated war hero, homes, and hundreds of hectares, came a new life. Just hours after the Thomas family evacuated from their fire-threatened home, tiny baby Thea made her arrival in the world – a week early. “It’s kind of typical. If it was going to happen, it was going to happen on the night the fire beat down and people were evacuated,” Luke said. Expecting their first child, the Thomas family had watched the smoke from the fires billow over the summit above their home since last Monday night. At about 11pm on Tuesday, they checked the fires and decided it was safe to go to bed. EXCITEMENT: Governors Bay residents Jessica and Luke Thomas with their new-born, Thea, who arrived a week early, on the night people evacuated to avoid the Port Hills blaze. But by midnight, a sudden old IT consultant said. wind shift had pushed the blaze That night more than 100 Governors Bay locals were evacuated, down towards the Governors Bay village. with many sheltering at the At 2am, 32-year-old Jessica primary school which had been went into labour. turned into a makeshift welfare Luke walked to the nearby fire centre. station where he could see “tall Luke ran home and within flames on the hillside.” minutes he was bundling his “They were about to start evacuations a little bit further up the tions, into the car, along with wife, who was having contrac- hill and said that if we wanted three cats and a dog in the to get out then now was a pretty backseat. good time to do it,” the 28-year- As they drove away, the threat became even clearer. “It was crazy. As we drove around the hill, you could see this huge, glowing orange in the night sky right behind our house. It was pretty upsetting,” Luke said. They drove to a friend’s house in Christchurch to drop the pets off. A midwife met them there who, after a quick check, told them to get to Christchurch Women’s Hospital immediately. At 6.47am last Wednesday, weighing 7lb 1oz, baby Thea was born. “Mum and baby are doing great and the labour went perfectly. It was very quick, especially for a first birth,” Luke said. “I’m sure it was sped up by the situation of getting out. “We will always remember the day Thea was born.” – NZ Herald •More fire coverage, pages 3, 4 and 5 •Editor’s note, page 2 Top Sales for December 2016 Ray White Ferrymead Anna and Bronny 20 Hours Free for 3 & 4 yrs old Three age specific rooms plus School prep Teaching room For full information please visit our website www.hvp.co.nz Come in for a visit and experience the difference Anna Loader and Bronny Clifford 21 Humphreys Drive, Ferrymead Anna 027 272 7128 Bronny 021 272 7718 Prier Manson Real Estate Ltd Licensed (REAA 2008) Ph 03 384 9249 108 Port hills Rd, heathcote Valley Lyttelton Tunnel Ferrymead Heritage Park Port Hills Rd Tunnel Rd We are here Bridle Path Rd Martindales Rd