2024 Port Hills fire
 | This article documents a current fire. Information may change rapidly as the event progresses, and initial news reports may be unreliable. The latest updates to this article may not reflect the most current information. (February 2024) |
| 2024 Port Hills fire | |
|---|---|
.jpg) The fire on the afternoon of Wednesday 14 February | |
| Location | Port Hills, Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Statistics | |
| Date(s) | 14 February 2024 (ongoing) |
| Burned area | 650 hectares (1,600 acres)[1] |
| Buildings destroyed | 1 home |
The 2024 Port Hills fire is a wildfire in Christchurch, New Zealand. The fire started at around 2:15 pm NZDT on 14 February 2024 on Worsleys Road. It is close to the location of one of the fires that started on 13 February 2017 which developed into the 2017 Port Hills fires.[2]
Events[edit]
Fire and Emergency New Zealand said that dry weather had led to "tinder conditions".[3] Dozens of properties have been evacuated including a nearby hospital.[4] On 14 February a state of emergency was declared in Christchurch and Selwyn.[5] Starting at 2:45pm, for 25 minutes, 39,000 properties were left without power. Transpower believes that it is caused by soot causing an outage at the Bromley substation.[6] As of 15 February, the fire is being fought by 28 fire appliances, 14 helicopters and two retardant‐dropping aircraft, which consist 80 Fire and Emergency crews. There are also currently two evacuation hubs.[5]
On the night of 14 February, 80 homes were evacuated, and firefighters created a fire break between Worsleys Spur and Dyers Pass Road.
Origin[edit]
The cause of the fire is currently unknown. Fire and Emergency is asking for photographs of the fire between 1:45pm and 2:45pm to trace the origin, a half hour before and after the fire began.[7] The ignition point of the fire has been identified as within metres of a public walking track in a pine plantation on Worsleys Spur.[8]
References[edit]
- ^ "Port Hills fire live: Firefighters battle as blaze burns for second day", RNZ, 14 February 2024, archived from the original on 14 February 2024, retrieved 14 February 2024
- ^ Gibbs, Tatiana (14 February 2024). "State of emergency declared as residents flee homes in wake of massive Port Hills fire". The Press. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ "Port Hills fire – Expert Reaction". 14 February 2024. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ "Port Hills fire: Battle resumes as flames reach adventure park". NZ Herald. 15 February 2024. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ a b "Christchurch Port Hills fire: What you need to know". RNZ. 14 February 2024. Retrieved 14 February 2024.
- ^ "39,000 lost power to Christchurch fire". RNZ. 15 February 2024. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
- ^ "Home destroyed in Port Hills blaze, wind shift possible". 1 News. Retrieved 15 February 2024.
- ^ Mitchell, Charlie (16 February 2024), "Port Hills fire started in pine trees burned seven years earlier", The Press, retrieved 18 February 2024