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Emergency services contained a large scrub fire north of Wellington

Author
Melissa Nightingale,
Publish Date
Wed, 29 Jan 2025, 3:28pm

Emergency services contained a large scrub fire north of Wellington

Author
Melissa Nightingale,
Publish Date
Wed, 29 Jan 2025, 3:28pm
  • A large vegetation fire is burning in Spinnaker Reserve, Whitby.
  • Fire and Emergency say the fire was contained before it could reach nearby homes.
  • A restricted fire season was declared for Porirua and Kāpiti Coast just yesterday.

A large vegetation fire in Porirua has been contained before it reached nearby homes.

Some homes were evacuated as a precaution after the blaze broke out in Spinnaker Reserve, Whitby, about 1.40pm, Fire and Emergency said.

At 2.30pm the fire was estimated to be 480sq m in size, but by 3.15pm the department confirmed it had not become any larger and they had stopped it from reaching houses on nearby Mercury Way.

“There are currently 14 crews on site, working to extinguish the fire completely,” they said.

“The cause of the fire is not yet known, but it will be investigated.

“Outdoor fires are restricted in this area, which means a permit would have been required before a fire could be lit.”

People are asked to stay away from the area, so trucks can get through.

There is some smoke in the area, so those nearby should keep their windows closed, Fire and Emergency warned.

The fire happened just one day after the restricted fire season was declared in Porirua and the Kāpiti Coast.

A restricted fire season means anyone who wants to light an outdoor fire must go to checkitsalright.nz and apply for a fire permit authorised by Fire and Emergency.

A fire has broken out in Spinnaker Reserve in Whitby this afternoon. Image / Google Maps
A fire has broken out in Spinnaker Reserve in Whitby this afternoon. Image / Google Maps

District manager Brett Lockyer said Porirua and the Kāpiti Coast had become extremely dry since the beginning of the year.

“Although there has been a bit of rain in the last couple of days, we still have a lot of very dry vegetation on the west side of the district, which could easily catch fire.”

Wellington is currently experiencing gusts of up to 72km/h. MetService says the capital will have strong northerlies today but they will be easing this evening.

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