February 2, 2009

A big scrub fire forced the evacuation of six homes near Mahia Beach, south of Gisborne.
The houses were evacuated as four helicopters with monsoon buckets and nine fire engines fought the fire after it started about 4pm.
It quickly spread over more than six hectares of land between YMCA Rd and Kaiwaitau Rd. The fire was brought under control at 8pm.
Mahia resident Nell Spencer was surrounded by the fire in her YMCA Rd home last night and said the only way she and her family could get out was on foot.
'But I don't want to do that. I would rather take my things.'
The fire came within 150 metres of her house.
'I was out there with my hose, but then they cut the power off so now we don't have water,' she said.
A fire communications spokesman said last night that six houses along YMCA Rd had been evacuated.
In Wairarapa last night, rural fire services battled a fire on two hectares of a pine-tree plantation with long grass.
A helicopter with a monsoon bucket was also used.
No houses were believed to be in danger on the Masterton to Castlepoint road.
Another fire, which swept through 16 hectares of grassland near Martinborough on Saturday, was brought under control without any property being damaged. The alarm was raised at 2.24pm and firefighters managed to put the fire out about 3.30pm.