Source: Radio New Zealand
The main Tongariro track is expected to stay shut until at least next week after devastating wildfire.
Recent rain is helping hugely to bring the massive Tongariro National Park blaze under control, Fire and Emergency says.
Thirty-five crews of Department of Conservation firefighters remain at the site on Tuesday, while drones with thermal imaging equipment have begun checking the flanks of the fireground for hotspots.
A helicopter is on standby to fly over and assess the full extent of the damage. However, low cloud has meant it has been unable to do an aerial assessment of the site, which is estimated to cover up to 2800 hectares.
Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka said part of the National Park is open, but the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, Tongariro Northern Circuit, Tama Lakes and walks near Whakapapa Village would be closed until at least Monday.
“We will be in a better place to give an indication of when tracks and huts will re-open and any impacts on summer tramping once the fire has been controlled and FENZ have confirmed it is safe for us to assess damage,” Potaka said.
“But there will be some time before everything is cleared away and we know the true extent of biodiversity loss, but also what’s in front us, which is a restoration opportunity.”
Potaka said police were investigating the cause of the fire.
“We have managed to protect some key infrastructure so we hope to be able to reopen the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and Tongariro Northern Circuit (except Oturere Hut) quickly.”
FENZ assistant commander Renee Potae. RNZ/Jimmy Ellingham
FENZ assistant commander Renee Potae said recent rain had been a huge help.
“The key thing has been the rain, especially the runoff from the mountain. That runoff is running into the fireground and really helping us get control of this fire.”
However, while flames may no longer be visible, it does not mean the fire has been fully extinguished.
“While you can’t see too much sign of fire right now on the surface, it doesn’t mean it’s not still burning underground,” Potae said.
“So while we’ll start to see some of the resources start to demobilise over the next few days, there will be, for several days, some crews continuing to monitor the fire just to make sure it’s out.”
Diggers at work at the site of the fire in Tongariro. RNZ/Jimmy Ellingham
Meanwhile, an iwi representative said the rāhui over the scene will give the whenua time to breathe.
Two rāhui have been put in place, covering the Tongariro Alpine Crossing track and any burnt areas.
Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro representative Te Ngaehe Wanikau said: “The restoration is not about excluding, it’s not prohibiting.”
Wanikau said the restorative rāhui was not in the usual sense of rāhui which happens after a tragedy.
RNZ / Jimmy Ellingham
A restorative rāhui was about focusing on bringing the area back to what it should be, he said.
The “greatest” fear was the burnt area going into the “too hard basket and then we see yellow flowers of broom all over our mountain”.
The rāhui was an opportunity for “everyone and anyone” to focus on making it a restorative project that showed what the area could look like if the problem was dealt with.
He said they would work with agencies to determine the extent of the damage.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
