“I was sitting with my parents and saw the smoke and thought this doesn’t look right,” he said. When he went outside, he found the hedges behind his Selwyn Rd house near Rolleston ablaze. After calling 111, he and several friends he had called for help moved trucks from his yard onto the roadside out of harm’s way. They then spent a couple of minutes trying to knock back the fire with garden hoses. The fire destroyed two small storage sheds before jumping to the
hedge along Selwyn Rd. It caused two power boxes to explode and spread across to the other side of the road. “It just spread so fast.” Sunny said he was grateful for the firefighters who were able to keep the fire away from his house and larger shed. The fire was one of several across Canterbury triggered by 24℃ temperatures and high winds, which stretched resources. At the height of the response, there were 16 fire crews on site. Rolleston Volunteer Fire Brigade chief fire
officer Marty Tier said the lack of rain in recent months had left conditions extremely dry. “We could be quite stretched this summer if things carry on like this,” he said. Tier said the fire was likely started by an ember blowing from the remains of a nearby burn-off. When crews arrived, they focused their efforts on protecting Sunny’s house and garage. Other crews concentrated on stopping the fire from spreading further across the road. Tier said firefighters also had to deal with sightseers attempting
to drive through the area while crews were battling the blaze. Earlier on Saturday, firefighters were called to a scrub fire on the Waimakariri River near Kirwee. Kirwee Volunteer Fire Brigade chief fire officer Hamish Jones said a preliminary investigation indicated the fire was likely started by a burnt-out car. Crews from Darfield, West Melton, Rolleston and Sheffield assisted Kirwee firefighters and spent much of the day at the scene. At one point, a helicopter was called in to help. Tier urged people to regularly
check old burn piles, warning they can remain hot for several weeks after being extinguished. He said people can wet piles down or spread the ash with a tractor to prevent heat being retained. Jones said people should also avoid having burn piles near hedges. – Daniel Alvey
Rolleston fire, Selwyn Rd, vegetation fire, hedges, Canterbury fires, 111 call, fire crews, Marty Tier, Hamish Jones, Kirwee scrub fire, Waimakariri River, burn-off, power boxes