More than 50 firefighters have spent the morning putting out hotspots at the scene of a massive blaze in the Porirua suburb of Titahi Bay.
A 14-year-old appeared in the Youth Court in Porirua this morning charged with arson following the fire, which was reported around 4.20pm yesterday.
More than 150 people were forced to flee their Titahi Bay homes after northwest winds fanned fire towards Gloaming Hill properties, central fire service communications shift manager Murray Dunbar said.
“There’s a large area of scrub burnt out basically from where the fire started in Shelley Bay right around that Titahi Bay peninsula on the Porirua harbourside from the shoreline up to those properties.”
At Whiteria Park this morning, the scene was one of blackened hills and forlorn tree stumps.
On the inner harbour side of the park, isolated patches of flame and smoke were still visible on the hillside around midday.
Four helicopters and about 60 firefighters fought the blaze yesterday, which was reported about 4.20pm and sent smoke over much of Wellington as it advanced on a 1.5 kilometre-wide front.
The fire got to within metres of some homes but no properties were damaged.
The blaze advanced in a 1.5km front, sending smoke over much of Wellington.
Porirua City Council gave the all clear for residents to return home shortly before 8am today, but they were warned to stay away from any fire activity as fire services worked to dampen down hot spots.
Kapiti Mana police Inspector John Spence said two young men were being questioned about the fire late last night, which police believed was started deliberately.
Helicopters using monsoon buckets stopped flying when it got dark, but firefighters worked through the night to keep the flames under control.
The use of monsoon buckets resumed today at 6am, Radio New Zealand reported, with two helicopters on the job by 8am.
Porirua mayor Jenny Brash said 50-70 firefighters had fought the fire this morning.
The fire was believed to have started near the Titahi Bay golf club. As it spread the flames got “very close” to houses on Gloaming Hill, Mr Spence said.
Gloaming Hill resident Dianna Taylor, a Hutt Hospital nurse, said police ordered her and neighbours to evacuate just before 8pm.
Fanned by northerlies, flames reported up to 30m high raced through 20 hectares of scrub within an hour.
“It’s frightening. My daughter and I are standing outside and it’s still coming. It’s really scary,” said Mrs Taylor.
People were told to go to the Niblick Hall behind the Titahi Bay Fire Station, where the Red Cross provided tea and coffee.
Porirua City Council emergency management officer Kerry McSaveney said many evacuees were anxious.
“People are just wondering when they can go home. Up at the site people were quite scared, there was a lot of smoke.”
Lynn Ebert, of Clipper St, said her four-year-old grandson, Kyle, noticed the smoke first and said “Nanny there’s something wrong with the sky. I don’t like the sky.” That was shortly after it started and it “just got worse and worse” said Mrs Ebert, who was preparing to evacuate about 9pm.
Tracy Flint, also of Clipper St, said “huge thick smoke is all through the house”.
To get away from the smoke her three children had gone to their father’s house in Tawa.
Earlier the golf club was evacuated by police, and firefighters herded cows from the area.
Shane Stewart of Whitby said he, his father and brother ran from the 18th hole.
“We just saw heaps of smoke so we thought we’d better run back.” As they did, they saw flames as high as 20 or 30 metres being whipped towards them.
“It was pretty hot and there were little explosions going off.”
Ambulances stood by in Titahi Bay to offer help to people suffering the effects of smoke inhalation.
The blaze lit up the sky and there was a bright red glow as night fell.
Many motorists stopped on State Highway 1 at Mana to take in the view of the Titahi Bay headland across the water.
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