New Zealand wildfires set to worsen as thousands flee
Source: Reuters
New Zealand wildfires set to worsen as thousands flee
Reuters
Sun 10 Feb 2019 06.45 GMT Last modified on Sun 10 Feb 2019 15.10 GMT
Strong winds are expected to fan forest fires that have been burning for a week through New Zealand’s South Island, forcing thousands of people from their homes.
Early on Sunday, 155 firefighters were battling the blaze on the ground with air support from 23 helicopters and three fixed wing planes, making it the largest aerial firefight on record in New Zealand.
Up to 3,000 people have been forced to leave the Wakefield and Pigeon Valley areas, the civil defence controller, Roger Ball, told a news conference on Saturday. More people were likely to be forced from their homes on Sunday.
The Pigeon Valley fire covers 2,300 hectares (5,700 acres) with a 25 km (15 mile) perimeter, NZ Civil Defence said on its website. No deaths have been reported and only one home destroyed as of Sunday.
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Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/10/new-zealand-wildfires-set-to-worsen-as-thousands-flee
= new reply since forum marked as read
It’s so beautiful....and usually quite windy on this part of NZ. Darn it. 
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