Wednesday, Sept 11, 2013
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THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF MID CANTERBURY
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Fire crews were stretched to deal with a fire near Lake Hood.
PHOTO MYLES HUME 100913-MH-144
Storm wreaks havoc BY SUE NEWMAN AND MICHELLE NELSON Fire crews across Mid Canterbury scrambled to deal with falling trees and multiple fires as gale force winds hit yesterday afternoon. From about 2pm on crews from Ashburton, Mayfield, Hinds, Rakaia, Methven and Willowby ran from one call to the next, with almost all being wind-fanned vegetation blazes, most sparked by fallen power lines. Ashburton fire chief Alan Burgess said the focus of the district’s firefighting efforts remained on a scrub fire near an historic homestead off Stranges Road near the extension to Lake Hood. Previously they had attended an incident where a tree fell across a car on State Highway 1
at Hinds as well as a range of scrub fires. One of the more significant fire events was a blaze in trees on Emmersons Road, Lowcliffe, Mr Burgess said. “The Lake Hood fire, however, remains our biggest concern because of the housing down there. We’ve had everything out and really had to make up in a hurry with some of our gear for a while, but we’re back under control now,” he said. Ashburton’s three fire units and its tanker were at the Lake Hood blaze for several hours and a fourth unit was put back into commission to boost firefighting power. At the peak of the blaze the Methven and Willowby units were also on site. Methven fire teams were also busy on their own patch and spent most of the day racing
from one call to the next. For the Mt Somers crew, felled trees, dry vegetation and fallen power lines proved a heady mix, with fires igniting in the Mt Somers area during the morning and Staveley and Highbank later in the afternoon. The Mayfield crew was also busy with trees falling along State Highway 72 and with a fire in a hedge along Fontaines Road late in the afternoon By early evening Rakaia was the only station with units available after teams returned from helping out at fires at Dunsandel and Mead. Crews were dispatched to help Methven with a vegetation fire in the Barrhill area on River Road. Winds died down briefly about 5.30pm, offering some respite to firefighters, however they picked up again.
A Guardian photographer and reporter had a close call on Coldstream Road when a tree fell across the road, narrowly missing a tractor that had just passed underneath. A school bus had also driven past the spot seconds earlier. PHOTO KIRSTY CLAY 100913-KC-102
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