<\/p>\n
\nDrone footage of the fire near the Farmhouse Lodge in Fernhill.
\nPhoto: SUPPLIED\n<\/p>\n
Firefighters will patrol the scene of a large scrub fire which led to evacuations in rural Hastings overnight.<\/p>\n
The Tuesday afternoon blaze was located between the Fernhill township and the Ngaruroro River Bridge on SH50.<\/p>\n
It had destroyed multiple buildings, including two homes, left a person hospitalised and forced people living in and around the Farmhouse Lodge accommodation to evacuate.<\/p>\n
Residents would have to stay elsewhere overnight with assistance from Civil Defence.<\/p>\n
Fire and Emergency assistant commander Jason Hill said it had been too windy for helicopters, but multiple ground crews have been battling the blaze until dark.<\/p>\n
He said it was contained but not under control, with multiple pockets of fire burning within the perimeter.<\/p>\n
On Wednesday morning, Hill said crews would aim to bring the fire under control and an investigation into how it started would begin.<\/p>\n
Have you been impacted by the fire? Send photos to iwitness@rnz.co.nz<\/p>\n
Police said a section of SH50, Fernhill, had been closed and would remain closed overnight.<\/p>\n
The public should avoid the area and take alternate routes or expect delays.<\/p>\n
Farmhouse Lodge owner Dawson Bliss, said a tenant alerted him to the smoke billowing up the hill.<\/p>\n
When Bliss went to investigate, it appeared an old bus was on fire on flat land near the Ngaruroro river.<\/p>\n
“I rushed down there and got close to it and had extinguishers and so forth, but it was just too ablaze to try and get close enough,” he said.<\/p>\n
The fire brigade had been called by then and his wife checked all the rooms to ensure everyone was out safe.<\/p>\n
Bliss said he put his drone up and saw little fires cropping up all over the hill, due to the wind carrying sparks.<\/p>\n
The lodge has a main building and about 25 surrounding cabins, he said.<\/p>\n
He was unsure of the extent of the damage to his property, given he, his wife and the tenants had been moved about a kilometre down the road.<\/p>\n
Bliss did not know when they would be able to return.<\/p>\n
He said he had put tracks on the hilly property to act as fire breaks.<\/p>\n
“They did the job quite well,” he said.<\/p>\n
“The fire brigade threw plenty of iron at it … they were doing their best.”<\/p>\n
Bliss said he was feeling okay, but “later on it might be worse, when we take stock of the situation.”<\/p>\n
His wife Novia was “very emotional over what’s happened”, Bliss said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile crews were also working on another scrub fire that’s threatening houses near Havelock North, but it was contained at this stage.<\/p>\n
A fire and emergency spokesperson said the fire was threatening houses in Havelock North, but there were no formal evacuations at this stage.<\/p>\n
However, nearby residents had been told to evacuate if they felt unsafe.<\/p>\n
Hastings mayor Wendy Schollum said her heartfelt sympathy went to everyone impacted.<\/p>\n
“It’s a really distressing time of year for our community to be facing something like this,” she said.<\/p>\n
Schollum said the blaze emphasised the importance of adhering to fire bans, with record high temperatures last month, compounded by high winds.<\/p>\n
“While we had a little bit of rain more recently, it’s not enough to make a meaningful difference,” she said.<\/p>\n
“That complete fire ban is something we need our community to take seriously, and that includes things like fireworks too … if you’ve tucked some away from earlier in the year, please don’t set them off.”<\/p>\n
Multiple fire restrictions are in place in Hawke’s Bay,<\/a> with crews warning of high fire danger levels.<\/p>\n