The badly burnt pohutukawa against which it is thought the fire was lit. |
A beach fire at Home Bay, Bream Head Scenic Reserve, Northland, appeared to be the cause of the fire which threatened the Reserve last Wednesday.
"The Whangarei Heads Volunteer Fire Brigade was first on the scene," says DOC fire officer Glen Coulston, "and due to their quick response and hard work they had the fire contained by the time the DOC fire team arrived".
DOC staff relieved the Volunteers and continued the mop-up through the rest of the day.
The cause of the fire seems to have been a beach fire built to cook scallops, which was not fully put out. Fanned by the wind, it caught alight an old Pohutukawa, then spread into the long grass and continued up into the Reserve.
A total of 1.5 hectares sustained damage, with losses to areas of restoration planting. The planting of this area had been carried out by the community and DOC staff over the past ten years and included habitat for kiwi known to be living in the area.
"The Bream Head Scenic Reserve is rated in the highest category of the Department of Conservation's Sites of Special Biological Interest and Protected Natural Areas programmes and has a diverse range of species which include the threatened North Island brown kiwi, NZ pigeon - kukupa, threatened invertebrates plus many rare and restricted plants," said Community Relations Officer Lynnie Gibson.
Under the Forest and Rural Fires Act 1977, the guilty party can be held personally liable for costs associated with a fire on rural land if proved responsible for causing it.
Fires are absolutely prohibited in the Reserve and this includes the beach. DOC is also the Rural Fire Authority for all lands within 1km of DOC reserves. A fire permit must be obtained by anyone wishing to light a fire within 1 km of a Reserve. These can be obtained from your nearest DOC office and in most cases do not cost anything.
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