Fire investigators looking into the blaze in Tongariro National Park are asking for dashcam footage from drivers in the area.
Fire and Emergency (FENZ) said it wanted to hear from anyone with a dashcam who was on State Highway 47 on Saturday afternoon between 1-3pm.
A particular area of interest was SH47 from the intersection with SH4 to the intersection with SH46, it said.
FENZ said SH47 would reopen at 5pm on Tuesday with speed restrictions in place.
FENZ district commander Nigel Dravitzki said aerial mapping has confirmed 2935 hectares of the park has been scorched, and while no obvious signs of fire had been seen, it was still being treated as a live fireground.
“There may be patches of smouldering vegetation that would reignite very easily in windy conditions. That is common fire behaviour, especially in an environment like this where the vegetation dries out easily.”
The spokesperson said 35 firefighters had been patrolling tracks inside the fireground today, and that FENZ would remain on site to respond to any flare-ups.
The main Tongariro track is expected to stay shut until at least next week after the devastating wildfire.
Recent rain is helping hugely to bring the massive Tongariro National Park blaze under control, Fire and Emergency said.
Ruapehu District Mayor Weston Kirton told Breakfast the fire was an “emergency situation” and urged tourists to stay away from the park. (Source: Breakfast)
Thirty-five crews of Department of Conservation firefighters remain at the site on Tuesday, while drones with thermal imaging equipment have begun checking the flanks of the fireground for hotspots.
A helicopter is on standby to fly over and assess the full extent of the damage. However, low cloud has meant it has been unable to do an aerial assessment of the site, which is estimated to cover up to 2800 hectares.
Minister of Conservation Tama Potaka’s office said part of the National Park is open, but the Tongariro Alpine Crossing, Tongariro Northern Circuit, Tama Lakes and walks near Whakapapa Village would be closed until at least Monday.
“We will be in a better place to give an indication of when tracks and huts will re-open and any impacts on summer tramping once the fire has been controlled and FENZ have confirmed it is safe for us to assess damage,” a spokesperson said.
“But there will be some time before everything is cleared away and we know the true extent of biodiversity loss.”
He said police were investigating the cause of the fire.
“We have managed to protect some key infrastructure so we hope to be able to reopen the Tongariro Alpine Crossing and Tongariro Northern Circuit (except Oturere Hut) quickly,” Potaka’s office said.
About 605 people were booked for the day crossing over this week, however it is expected others would have booked closer to the time at short notice.
There were 92 people booked in a hut or campsite until Friday night, with those people informed the area was closed and their cost refunded.
FENZ assistant commander Renee Potae said recent rain had been a huge help.
“The key thing has been the rain, especially the runoff from the mountain. That runoff is running into the fireground and really helping us get control of this fire.”
Two angles, from a helicopter and a commercial flight flying between Christchurch and Tauranga, show the extent of the massive blaze. (Source: Supplied)
However, while flames may no longer be visible, it does not mean the fire has been fully extinguished.
“While you can’t see too much sign of fire right now on the surface, it doesn’t mean it’s not still burning underground,” Potae said.
“So while we’ll start to see some of the resources start to demobilise over the next few days, there will be, for several days, some crews continuing to monitor the fire just to make sure it’s out.”
Meanwhile, an iwi representative said the rāhui over the scene will give the whenua time to breathe.
Two rāhui have been put in place, covering the Tongariro Alpine Crossing track and any burnt areas.
Te Rūnanganui o Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro representative Te Ngaehe Wanikau said: “The restoration is not about excluding, it’s not prohibiting.”
Wanikau said the restorative rāhui was not in the usual sense of rāhui which happens after a tragedy.
A restorative rāhui was about focusing on bringing the area back to what it should be, he said.
The inferno continues to burn out of control. (Source: 1News)
The “greatest” fear was the burnt area going into the “too hard basket and then we see yellow flowers of broom all over our mountain”.
The rāhui was an opportunity for “everyone and anyone” to focus on making it a restorative project that showed what the area could look like if the problem was dealt with.
He said they would work with agencies to determine the extent of the damage.
By Jimmy Ellingham and Ellen O’Dwyer of rnz.co.nz
