Selwyn Times: November 21, 2018

SELWYN TIMES Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Wednesday November 21 2018 3
News
‘Fuel’ management
needed to prevent another big fire
• By Julia Evans
ANOTHER MAJOR fire on the
Port Hills will happen.
That’s the stark warning from
an agricultural expert who says
the vegetation on the hills is a
powder keg.
Lincoln University’s Derrick
Moot said active management of
the area was needed to prevent
future events
like the Port
Hills fires,
which burned
for 66 days last
year. Helicopter
pilot Steve
Askin crashed
and died while
Derrick Moot fighting the
blaze.
Two separate fires on Early Valley
Rd and Marleys Hill combined
to one, destroying nine houses and
significantly damaging two.
An investigation concluded
that both fires were possibly deliberately
lit, though it was listed
as undetermined.
But Dr Moot said in his opinion,
the fire could have easily
spread further and taken out
more homes.
“We’re very fortunate we didn’t
get a southerly. It went from a
DANGER: Fire ravaged the Port Hills last year.
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nor’west to a nor’east, but could
have quite easily blown down to
a lot more housing,” he said.
“They were devastating
enough as it was for the people
involved and we lost someone.
But this was a warning that we
need to have active management
of the peripheral area.”
Dr Moot said simple things such
as maintaining grass growth and
grazing would significantly reduce
the likelihood of another fire.
“We need someone to take responsibility
of the area, whether
that be the Christchurch City
Council, Selwyn District Council
or Environment Canterbury.
There needs to be guidelines for
land owners.”
Dr Moot said if NIWA’s prediction
for a hot, dry November
came through the grass and
weather in the wider Port Hills
area would be in an identical
state as they were before the fires.
He said the effects of climate
change also have an impact.
Rural firefighter Richard
McNamara, who led the aerial
assault on the fire, said there was
always the potential for another
disaster given the “fuels” that
were up on the Port Hills.
2019
ON THE DOMAIN LINCOLN 2 MARCH 2019
“There’s always been fires up
there but the issue is that our
urban dwellings are pushing further
up and also climate change.
We’re going to start having hotter,
drier summers,” he said.
Mr McNamara said it was up
to those who live in the area to
understand the risk as he said
management would be hard to
enforce.
Fire and Emergency New
Zealand manager rural fire Tim
Mitchell said there was not a one
size fits all solution.
“It’s not an easy problem to
resolve. You’ve got to think of
the context of each landowner,”
he said.
Mr Mitchell said if landowners
needed help the councils, FENZ
and other organisations would
help.
In the wake of the fires, FENZ
went through an operational
review. Urban and rural firefighters
are working together
in training, as well as working
with the community to spread
prevention awareness.
Environment Canterbury
Christchurch West Melton
Banks Peninsula zone manager
Steve Firth said it was working
to offer support and advice to
landowners on the hills.
Meat you in
In Brief
GREENPARK ASSAULT
Inquiries are still ongoing after
police executed a search warrant
at a property in Greenpark
where a 28-year-old man was
assaulted. Police recovered two
stolen vehicles, stolen property
and about 40 cannabis plants. The
assault occurred at 10.30am last
Saturday. Senior Constable Andy
Williamson said the man’s injuries
were not life threatening.
BIRD CAUSES POWER CUTS
A magpie caused a power pole to
catch fire after it flew into the line
last Tuesday, frying itself in the
process. The Springfield and Sheffield
volunteer fire brigades were
called to the incident at 10.30am
on Kowai Bush Rd. The power pole
was replaced by Orion. Properties
on Kowai Rd, Midland Rd and
Rubicon Rd lost power at 11.05am.
Power was restored at 2.45pm.
POWER LOST
About 1400 residents lost power
in Selwyn on Sunday. Orion
spokeswoman Jessalee MacLean
said the power outages were
“largely” caused by tree branches
and vegetation coming into
contact with power lines as a result
of the stormy weather. Orion crews
progressively restored power.
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