Bay of Plenty fire: Owner’s plea after Te Puna citrus tree nursery blaze

Their property was one of up to 10 evacuated as the fire advanced.

Sharon and Grant Tennet, the owners of Copperfield Nurseries in Snodgrass Rd in Te Puna, assessing some of their damaged citrus trees after a scrub fire on November 20, 2024. Photo / Sandra Conchie

Extensive damage to shelter belts, young trees

The blaze destroyed two major shelter belts and severely scorched large numbers of citrus rootstocks, and citrus plants near a barberry hedge on the southern boundary line were burned or severely scorched.

More than 300m of the hedge was removed and replaced with a double‑clothed artificial shelter belt.

Grant Tennet said the replacement was delayed until June last year to allow a neighbour to complete their kiwifruit harvest, and the cost for their half of the replacement was $130,000.

Contractors later removed and mulched the burnt hedge before installing 6m poles and erecting a double-faced white cloth barrier to prevent Hi-Cane kiwifruit spray drift from damaging their trees.

Shelter belts, parent citrus trees and rootstock plant growing on the Copperfield Nurseries property on Snodgrass Rd in Te Puna was severely impacted by a large scrub fire which began on November 20, 2024. Photo / Sandra Conchie

They also lost a lot of rootstock plants that would have been ready for grafting last December.

Internal shelter belts also suffered “big pockets of burn”, and up to 100m of Japanese cedar hedge at the lower end of the property was destroyed.

All of it had to be cut out and replaced — a “massive job”, Grant said.

“We also lost quite a few younger trees expected to be ready for sale next winter, and the trees we’ve replanted to replace them won’t be fully grown until winter 2027.”

Grant was still unsure whether some severely scorched parent trees would ever recover, but says their losses could have been much worse.

Sharon and Grant Tennet alongside a fire-damaged shelter belt on their Snodgrass Rd, Te Puna citrus tree nurseries property. Photo / Sandra Conchie

Months of cleanup, community support

For months after the blaze, the Tennets, their son William and staff worked to remove dead plants and clear debris.

Neighbours were a “significant help”, including one who offered access to a rubbish pit.

“Fortunately, our home and none of the outbuildings sustained damage,” Grant said.

He added that the total compensation amounts were confidential, although damage to neighbouring properties was likely to be “hundreds of thousands of dollars”.

‘They are my heroes’

Sharen Tennet said she remained deeply thankful to the “wonderful” firefighters and emergency crews who spent hours at their property.

She was especially grateful that her son William and a worker survived the thick smoke as they fought to stop the fire from reaching the family home.

“They are my heroes,” she said. “Our son William is my absolute hero, as he refused to leave the property and worked tirelessly to save our home.”

Copperfield Nurseries owners Sharon and Grant Tennet with some of their new citrus trees, just over one year after a huge blaze damaged their Te Puna property. Photo / Sandra Conchie

Message to the community

The Tennets said the fire had changed how they approached even small burns on their land.

Grant said they were now “extra cautious” before lighting any fire, including simple rubbish burns.

“And that is our message and plea to the community,” he said. “We need people to do the right thing and never leave a fire unattended, as it can quickly get out of control and cause huge losses.”

Fire investigation

Fire and Emergency NZ Bay of Plenty district manager Jeff Maunder. Photo / NZME

Maunder said the blaze occurred during an open fire season.

“We did not prosecute. Any prosecution would depend on the circumstances of the fire, the fire season at the time and whether there was deliberate non-compliance.”

“Regulatory compliance forms part of our risk reduction work and is primarily aimed at assisting in keeping our communities and the things they value safe from fire.”

Maunder said anyone who lit a fire without a permit or caused a fire to get out of control and spread could be liable upon conviction to two years in prison or a fine of up to $300,000, or both.

“In the case of a company breaching the act, the fine may be up to $600,000.”

Fire and Emergency NZ’s safety advice

Plan and prepare burn sites carefully and always monitor fires.Even during open fire seasons, also check Fire and Emergency NZ’s website first.Check weather conditions, and have a reliable method of extinguishing a fire.If a fire is visible to neighbours or passers-by, notify them and Fire and Emergency NZ.When a fire escapes, call 111 immediately.

Sandra Conchie is a senior journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post who has been a journalist for 25 years. She mainly covers police, court and other justice stories, as well as general news. She has been a Canon Media Awards regional/community reporter of the year.