Snow and rain dampen Banks Peninsula fire

Snow and rain on Banks Peninsula yesterday helped dampen the Stony Bay fire and firefighters will return in coming days to check for any remaining hot spots.

Principal Rural Fire Officer Keith Marshall says helicopters were carrying out infra-red scanning of the fire area Thursday morning when snow began to fall. By around 10.30am, the snow was so heavy that helicopters and around 40 staff on the ground had to pull out of the area.

“We had found 18 hot spots before the snow began, which we expect will now be dampened. We will return in coming days to carry out a final scan of the area from the air to double-check that all the hot spots have been put out,” Mr Marshall says.

At its peak the fire, which is suspected to have been started by lightning strike around 1pm on Tuesday, covered 400 hectares of bush at Stony Bay on Bank Peninsula, including the Hinewai Reserve.

Christchurch City Council, emergency services and volunteer rural firefighters from Banks Peninsula were involved in fighting the fire.