Blaze close call for Wanaka homes

CRIS JOHNSTON/Southland Times

AFTERMATH: Wanaka firefighters dampen down hotspots after a grass fire.

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A raging grass fire in Wanaka came within metres of wiping out a group of family homes yesterday afternoon.

Wanaka chief fire office Steve Trevathan said the blaze was ignited by a spark from a tractor behind Wanaka Tractor Services in Frederick St and quickly spread to about 16ha of land.

Fire crews from Wanaka, Luggate and Lake Hawea managed to contain the fire with the help of a helpful contractor's water tankers, but it was a close call, Mr Trevathan said.

The blaze threatened four houses in Riverbank Rd and a couple of industrial buildings.

It had been stopped about 5m from the nearest house. The residents had been evacuated and were extremely lucky not to lose their house, he said.

The cause of the fire was a "freak accident" that could not be prevented, Mr Trevathan said.

Riverbank Rd resident Rachel Erichsen, who lives across from the threatened houses, said she first saw the fir on the ridge, but by the time she had phoned the neighbours and got into the car it was already across the road.

"You think about Australia and you think about photo albums, passports, the kids ... it's pretty much a worried sort of thing," she said. The fire crews had arrived quickly and done a fantastic job, she said.

For 29-year old hospitality workers Ashley Dunoyer, of Ireland, and friend Roberta Smith, of the United States, the blaze was a frightening reminder about how quickly fire could spread.

Ms Dunoyer said she was phoned by her partner about 3pm notifying her of the risk to his parents' brick home in Riverbank Rd.

She arrived with Ms Smith to see the fire under control but aware of how close it had come to the house.

The fire had crossed the property's boundary fence, burning about 10 square metres of grass.

Another Riverbank Rd resident, Michelle Tefler, who lives two properties down from the threatened house, said she had been at work nearby when she saw the fire and rushed home.

She quickly threw a few possessions into the car along with her dogs, budgies and goldfish, andher husband turned the pod sprinklers on around the property, she said.

Wanaka Tractor Services declined to comment when contacted yesterday.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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