Suspicions are sparked over second scrub fire in Kopaki area

A second scrub fire in a week in the Kopaki area, south of Te Kuiti, is being treated as suspicious after it burned through four acres of pine plantation.

Rural fire services continue to monitor hotspots after putting the fire out on Tuesday afternoon.

Benneydale and Te Kuiti volunteer fire crews were called to the plantation along SH30 and quickly extinguished the fire, assisted by a water tanker from Otorohonga and a helicopter fitted with a monsoon bucket.

King Country principal rural fire officer Johan Cullis said “the cause of the fire is unknown” and it was being treated as suspicious.

Mr Cullis said the cause of the earlier fire one week earlier was also unknown but it was difficult to say if the two fires were linked.

This week’s fire burned about 100×40 metres within the pine plantation owned by Greenplan.

Greenplan Forestry Investments directing manager Mathew Barton also believed the fire was suspicious since it was the second fire in a week and across SH30 from the first.

Mr Cullis said dry conditions also need to be considered as a possible cause, and urged residents in the area to follow the fire ban in place.

The National Rural Fire Authority has issued a fire ban for Kopaki and surrounding areas until April 30; however, Mr Cullis said the ban may be lifted if the area receives a decent amount of rain.

King Country farmers experienced dry conditions this summer with temperatures recorded as high as 33 degrees in Te Kuiti.

The first scrub fire

The first scrub fire in the Kopaki area occurred on Wednesday afternoon a week ago and burned a total of 5.5 hectares.

Benneydale volunteer fire services were first to respond followed by the fire crews from Te Kuiti and Otorohonga; however the fire was not put out until the following day.

Waitomo District Council staff helped dampen down hotspots and were assisted by two helicopters fitted with monsoon buckets.