WELLINGTON • Wildfires have destroyed up to 50 homes in New Zealand, the authorities said yesterday, adding that it was a miracle no one was hurt as "a wall of orange" razed most of a South Island village.
The blaze began in a mountain forest early on Sunday morning and, fanned by strong winds, swept through the village of Lake Ohau, forcing residents to flee.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand said the unpredictable winds made fighting the fire challenging and by yesterday afternoon, it had burned 4,600ha of land.
Waitaki district mayor Gary Kircher said the tiny Lake Ohau community had been devastated.
"Of the 60 or 70 houses, we believe that the majority have gone," he told Radio New Zealand. "The reality is that it's a minor miracle no one has been harmed. If it had been another 15-20 minutes, it would have been a very different story."
Mr Kircher described how residents awoke to find an inferno bearing down on them. "I talked to a gentleman who got up to his dog (barking) in the early hours, opened his door and there was this wall of orange," he said. "He was the one who set off the town fire alarm and helped to wake people."
Wildfires are relatively common on the South Island at this time of the year but the scale and intensity of the Ohau fire have been unusual.
Village resident Hugh Spiers, who lost his home, said the ferocious blaze was surreal and more akin to the huge bush fires that regularly erupt in Australia than a regular New Zealand blaze.
By yesterday afternoon, the fire front had moved far enough from the village to allow evacuated residents a brief trip back to assess the damage. Civil Defence Minister Peeni Henare, who accompanied them, described seeing burnt cars and gutted homes. "The term I've heard used to describe it is a war zone," he told reporters.
The fire department said 11 helicopters and eight fire crews were attempting to contain the flames. Investigators were examining the cause of the blaze, amid reports that it was ignited by an electrical arc from overhead power lines.
With light rain forecast for the next 24 hours, there were hopes it would be under control by tonight.
University of Auckland environmental science expert George Perry said it was difficult to attribute a specific event such as the Lake Ohau fire to climate change. But he said New Zealand had experienced more large wildfires than usual in recent years, pointing to changes in the three main factors: fuel, climate and ignition sources.
"We would expect more such events under climate change, especially as conditions become warmer and drier, and we see more droughts," Professor Perry said.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
