Just one day into their planned two-week riverside camping
holiday in the Lindis Pass, Christchurch woman Peta Pool and
her grandson Justice (16) were facing a long drive back to
Canterbury after their pop top caravan burnt to the ground
yesterday.
The pair had arrived on Christmas Day at their regular summer
holiday camping spot just off State Highway 8 and slightly
south of the Lindis Pass summit in an area known as Goodger
Flat.
They were sitting outside their camper van next to the Lindis
River shortly after 1pm yesterday when their mobile lodgings
suddenly went up in flames. Although they and other campers
tried to put out the fire using mats and water from the
river, the caravan was completely gutted in ''probably less
than 10 minutes'', Justice said.
His grandmother flagged down a passing motorist who had
called the fire brigade. However, the fire was virtually out
by the time the Central Otago rural fire water tanker arrived
from Tarras. Police and a fire crew from Luggate also
responded.
Rural Fire Officer Mark Davidson, of Tarras, said based on
eyewitness accounts, the fire appeared to have started around
the gas-powered fridge. Friends of the Pools who arrived
yesterday to join them on their camping holiday were shocked
to see just a smoking pile of debris where the caravan should
have been parked.
Ms Pool told the Otago Daily Times her holiday was
over and she had no choice but to drive back home to
Christchurch.
After sifting through the charred remains of her caravan,
which was fully insured, she was able to recover some of her
rings. However, she had still not located her only set of car
keys among the ash by the time the firefighters left the
scene, Mr Davidson later said.
- lucy.ibbotson@odt.co.nz
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