Waikari Valley fire evacuees can return home
Residents evacuated after fire tore through vegetation in North Canterbury’s Waikari Valley have been given the all-clear to return home, fire bosses confirmed.
Anna Engelbrecht said “it’s been a relief” to find their house unscathed after an intense evacuation late Sunday, complicated by her husband’s rare neuromuscular disease.
In the span of 30 minutes, he could be unable to move or breath, Anna said, and stressful situations made things worse.
“For me it was: I need to get him out, I need to get him out.”
The pair fled their house with flames on the horizon after a change in wind direction put them in danger.
Many in the community got little sleep overnight Sunday, and some were forced from their properties by the the blaze, which broke out about 8pm and spread over 300 hectares.
Five helicopters and 80 ground crews of firefighters battled the fire on Monday, when it was fanned by high winds, and fire authorities warned it will not likely be fully extinguished for several days.
On Monday afternoon, Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) assistant commander Des Irving said residents could now return home but implored them to “be vigilant” and encouraged them to use common sense in the dry and hot conditions.
He praised the way local residents had reacted to the blaze.
“They’ve been amazing, we’re really appreciative of the residents and their support.
“It is never easy to leave your home at short notice like these people had to do last night, but safety is always the priority.”
The cause of the fire is not yet known, but the source has been pinpointed, he said.
No livestock has been reported as lost, nor any structures lost or damaged.
Poll: Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?
An Auckland court has ruled a woman doesn’t have to contribute towards the cost of fixing a driveway she shares with 10 neighbours.
When thinking about fences, driveways or tree felling, for example, do you think all neighbours should have to pay if the improvements directly benefit them?
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82.4% Yes
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14.8% No
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2.8% Other - I'll share below
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
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