This region's fires dearest for DOC

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 288, 30 May 1989, Page 3

This region's fires dearest for DOC

Fire fighting on or near the Waikato re- . gion's Department of Conservation land cost more than was spent on conservation land fires in the whole country in 1987, DOC says.

In 1987 fire control for the nation's conservation land cost $166,360, DOC's national chief fire officer, Kerry Hilliard, said. in 1988 more than $200,000 was spent corttrolling Waikato region fires alone. Nationally, $500,000 was spent on fire control, he said. There were 200 fires nationally and 21 in the Waikato region. Throughout the country 8.315 hectares were burnt, 2,674 hectares of which was in the Waikato region. The main reason for fires was the "high to extreme" fire readings during the summer period, Mr Hilliard said. Four of the year's worst fires were within DOC's Waikato region, which stretched from

the Coromandel, across to Port Waikato and south to Waiouru, he said. Auckland's Kaimaumau Wetlands' fire was the worst, burning 3345 hectares and costing $130,000 to control. Next came the Whangamarino Wetland's fire which cost $71,000 to control and burnt 2070 hectares, followed by a 550 hectare, $50,000 fire in the Tongariro National Park's Waihohonu area. Special machinery At Thames a 11.25 hectare fire cost $33,000 to control and a 20 hectare blaze at Waipunga Falls, on the Napier-Taupo highway, cost $35,000. Mr Hilliard said that even though these fires burned relatively small

areas, costs had escalated because specialist machinery and helicopters had to be used. DOC accepts that dry seasons mean increased fire risks and this year a fire fighting contingency fund was created. However, it is concerned at the number of arsons last year, he said. In the Waikato region there were four arsons. The biggest was at Whangamarino, with others at Waikawau Bay, Huka Falls and Tongariro. There were another 11 fires started by unknown causes. $ome were suspicious but there was not enough evidence to prove arson. Guy Fawkes Guy Fawkes night was also a bad time for conservation land. Fires started on or near the nation's conservation land that night cost $70,000 to control last year, with the biggest fight being made to

control the Desert Road blaze, Mr Hilliard said. DOC's Waikato region senior fire control officer, Simon Kelton, said many of this region's fire fights had been "straight helicopter operations". "These are the type of fires when we have to put high technology fire fighting techniques to use - chemical retardants and suppressants, monsoon buckets and helicopters," he said. As a result, they were expensive. "Looking on the positive side, we can say that it appears we're getting through to people that they require permits for open fires within 1.5 kilometres of DOC land. And the Whangamarino fire, de-

spite its cost and the amount of land burnt, has made people aware of the importance of wetlands as habitat for endangered bird, fish and plant species." It was hard to make conclusions from available statistics, Mr Kelton said, but unauthorised burns (where landowners started fires without permits) had only been blamed for two Waikato region fires last year, compared with seven in 1987. Bush blazes caused by camp fires or hunters were also well down - only one last year compared with four in 1987. Burden eased Because of help from other fire control auTurnpage4