How do the fires start?
The lake Ohau fires started from
an electric spark from the power lines.
When a lady went to take her dog out to the toilet the
dog spotted the fire as it started and warned the
owner before there were and deaths and they evacuated
at 3:00 in the morning.
The network in Waitaki is starting to
get the power lines back up and running
for some people in the village to return
because some houses don't burn.
Why did it spread so far?
The lake Ohau spread so far because
the wind picked up the spark and pushed
through bushes and in a building burning
40 houses and 48 buildings and before the
fire was flaming through houses they got
evacuated from their village and had to go to the closest town.
And it went through 5,040 hectares of land and lake Ohau is
5,400 hectares that were a lot of land lost. An old couple had
Been living in a caravan building a house there and it got wiped
In the fires and a lot of memories and furniture was lots but the best
Thing was no one was injured or was killed.
Who was involved in the fires?
Firefighters and D.O.C were involved in
the fire and the firefighters warned the D.O.C
on how it could be a potential blaze that could
go through Lake Ohau for years until this happened
D.O.C there had been new fire dangers on D.O.C land.
Murray the firefighter that had informed D.O.C for 25 years
And when he retired and fire happened on D.O.C land.
Today we had to research Lake Ohau and the fires that have happened in the school holidays and it was sad for some people to lose there houses and memories of loved ones in the fire and doc had been warned it had a high risk of a fire.