Beach resorts threatened by fires

Press, 1 February 1983, Page 1

Beach resorts threatened by fires

Nelson reporter Fire threatened to engulf the small beach resorts of Little Kaiteriteri and Stephens Bay in the Motueka area yesterday. One small cottage — said to be one of the original two cottages at Little Kaiteriteri — was totally destroyed. The second, although ringed completely by charred scrub, was untouched. Little Kaiteriteri is an extension of the popular Kaiteriteri Beach still packed with holidaymakers. Stephens Bay is about Ikm south of Kaiteriteri. It contains many substantial homes owned by permanent residents who have either retired or commute daily to Motueka. The fire began about 2 p.m. in the rubbish dump immediately below and west of the main highway at Kaiteriteri Beach. It is not known how it began. The Fire Service units at Kaiteriteri Beach and Motueka were called out and the Forest Service also responded with units and men. The firefighters were augmented by many volunteer holidaymakers and resi-

dents and two helicopters with monsoon buckets. Many of the volunteers were Christchurch people holidaying in the area. A strong westerly wind whipped the fire up the side of the dump and it jumped the road. About six houses above the road, in or close to pine trees, survived the blaze as it caught the wind and tore over the top of the hill and down into the dense scrub of Little Kaiteriteri. This area is also becoming crammed with new holiday homes, but none were in the path of the spreading fire front. Much of the land over which the fire burned at Little Kaiteriteri and immediately over the hill into Stephens Bay is owned by Beaches and Bays Kaiteriteri, Ltd. Some Crown land was also burned. When the fire flared over the hill and down into Stephens Bay, about 12 homes were immediately put at risk. A bulldozer lessened this by cutting a large break through the dense scrub and the combined efforts of ground fighters and the mon-soon-bucket equipped helicopters confined the fires.