Firefighting bill comes to more than $600K

Firefighters spent six weeks battling a large fire that burnt a large section of the Te Papanui Conservation Park, near Middlemarch, last year. PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERY

Fighting a massive blaze that tore through conservation land near Middlemarch last year cost more than $600,000.

The cause of the fire, which destroyed 5000ha of land including parts of Te Papanui Conservation Park, has not been determined.

The alarm was first raised by an off-duty Department of Conservation ranger who saw smoke at the park at 10.50am on November 9.

What followed was a mammoth six-week firefighting effort which at one point involved 11 helicopters and 80 contractors.

An operational review released by Fire and Emergency New Zealand praised the efforts of those involved, saying a high level of operational competence was demonstrated throughout the incident.

But an incident involving one firefighter highlighted the need for better personal protective equipment (PPE) for firefighters.

Crews were, at times, working in inclement weather with sub-zero wind chill.

The current rural firefighting PPE did not provide enough warmth in that environment.

"There is a very real potential for firefighters to experience hypothermia from exposure to such weather conditions," the report states.

"There is a limited choice of footwear available on the fire and emergency site and none of it is suitable for high country work."

In fact, one firefighter at the scene did suffer mild hypothermia. The person was assessed at the scene and stood down with no ongoing symptoms.

The report also found the Deep Stream water catchment tactical plan was very useful for the response, but it did not mention the potential risks to Dunedin’s water supply when using fire suppressants during the aerial firefighting effort.

The catchment and reservoir, which usually provides 80% of the city’s drinking water, was out of action for about a month after the fire burned through a large section of it.

The fire had contaminated the catchment with ash and run-off containing fire suppressant chemicals. It was initially feared the water source could be out of action for up to a year, but it was back in service by mid-December.

Fenz also released a cost breakdown of the firefighting effort, which came to $601,868.

The vast majority of that, $408,959, went towards hiring 11 helicopters to douse the fire.

A further $127,537 was spent on external firefighting services, such as diggers and bulldozers.

Because the fire started on Doc land, it had agreed to reimburse Fenz $593,253.

Despite an extensive investigation, the cause of the fire has not been determined — although the report noted evidence indicated "potential human intervention".