Port Hills fire: ‘We’re not out of the woods yet’
The Port Hills fire has burned across 630 hectares and spread inside the Christchurch Adventure Park’s boundaries overnight.
Eighty households were evacuated, the city’s mayor said, but Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) said no structures had been lost “thanks to the great efforts of our crews”.
The main fire was around Summit Rd. Firefighters had successfully put a fire break in around Worsleys Spur to Dyers Pass Rd, Mosby said.
Fenz was aware northwesterly winds were forecast to build from about lunchtime, so the focus on Thursday was to “hit the fire hard with the resources we have already“.
The fire broke out about 2.15pm on Wednesday - the anniversary of the devastating 2017 fire - and a local state of emergency remains in place.
Fenz said 80 firefighters were on the ground on Thursday, while in the air were 15 helicopters with monsoon buckets and two fixed wing aircraft focused on retardant drops.
A community meeting would be held for affected residents at Te Hāpua Halswell Centre at 11am.
Also on Thursday morning, two helicopters had been diverted to a vegetation fire burning through scrub in the View Hill area of North Canterbury, to would help six crews “who are mopping up, focusing on areas of unsafe terrain”, Fenz said.
A grass fire also threatened structures near Rolleston in Selwyn just before 9am on Thursday. Four Fenz trucks and one tanker responded and it was contained within an hour.
An evacuation centre had been set up at Halswell Library and Community Centre, and a second at the Lincoln community centre for people closer to Selwyn.
A community meeting would be held for affected residents at Te Hāpua Halswell Centre at 11am.
Late Wednesday, Fenz asked for help from the public as an investigation into the cause of the fire began.
Anyone with photographs or videos of the Port Hills taken between 1.45pm and 2.45pm (30 minutes before the fire was reported to 30 minutes after) Wednesday were asked to email them to PortHills2024Photos@fireandemergency.nz with their name and contact details, when the photo or footage was taken and where the photographer was.
Sweet Louise - Walk 50K this month for incurable Breast Cancer
Hello All, this month I am walking 50KM for Sweet Louise.
Sweet Louise provides practical, emotional and social support and services for New Zealanders living with incurable breast cancer. They provide the compassion and care they need to live as well as possible, for as long as possible.
Membership is free and open to all women and men in New Zealand who have received a diagnosis of advanced breast cancer.
Sweet Louise provides practical and emotional support to improve life for New Zealanders with advanced breast cancer through:
- Support Coordinators with experience in oncology and palliative care based across the country and provide regular, one-to-one support
- Social support and creating connections through meetings, regular social events, and an active online support group
- Emergency vouchers for essentials like food and for petrol to get to hospital visits
- A range of vouchers for complementary therapies and initiatives such as family trips or treats, that give people a boost and help create special memories and resilience
Sweet Louise makes a difference every day to over 730 members and their families right across New Zealand.
I WOULD BE EVER SO GRATEFUL OF YOUR SUPPORT! - Please click on the link below, any amount is appreciated! 😊
walk50kthismay.nz...
Thank you.
Poll: What could the Christchurch City Council fund if it didn't have to pay GST on rates?
Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger says GST on rates, currently taken by central government, would be better spent locally.
The comments follow an Infometrics analysis that found over $1.1 billion of rates revenue nationwide was collected by the Government in 2022 as GST.
According to Infometrics, $88.5m of that came from Christchurch city ratepayers. It would be enough to save the Christ Church Cathedral from ruin; restore the Dux de Lux seven times over; cover both the Art Centre and Orana Wildlife Park’s request for regular public funding for over 26 years; contribute to light rail in Greater Christchurch; or get the South Library rebuild completed.
Read the full story by reporter Sinead Gill here and share your thoughts in the comments below. (Note: Subscription required. You can still read two free stories a month if you're not a ThePress.co.nz subscriber).
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22.8% Light rail
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5.1% South Library
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39.2% Orana Wildlife Park
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12.7% The Arts Centre
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3.8% Dux de Lux
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11.4% Christ Church Cathedral
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5.1% Something else (share your thoughts in the comments)
Poll: Would you want an unconventional funeral?
Funerals can cost as much as $22,000 and the planning can be stressful especially at a time when loved ones are grieving. Some New Zealanders are re-imagining funerals by making their own coffin or having a relaxed ceremony at home. Would you want a less traditional funeral? Share your thoughts below.
Type 'Not For Print' if you wish your comments to be excluded from the Conversations column of your local paper.
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83.6% Yes
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14.1% No
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2.2% Other - I'll share below!
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