Burned native plants on Te Mata Peak Rd after fireworks sparked a blaze on Tuesday evening. Photo / Jack Riddell
Fireworks thrown from a car on Havelock North’s Te Mata Peak started a fire, destroyed native bush and landed at least one young person in trouble with the police.
At about 10pm on Tuesday, firefighters and police were called to assist with a fire near Te Mata Peak’s lower carpark.
Firefighters extinguished the fire and thanks to information provided by witnesses, police identified four people who had allegedly thrown fireworks out of a car window before driving away.
Police have spoken to one of the people involved, who will be referred to Youth Aid, and inquiries are under way to locate and speak to the remaining three people.
Police spokes said they cannot rule out charges being laid.
“It was incredibly fortunate that the fire was able to be extinguished quickly by Fire and Emergency, given the terrain and the high winds experienced at this location.”
Te Mata Park Trust chairman Jon Lewin said the small fire was located between the park’s main gates car park on Te Mata Peak Rd and the Rongoā Garden.
“A section of native planting was destroyed by the fire – we estimate the area to be about 40 by 40 metres.
“About 80 well-established harakeke [flax], plus native trees including kōwhai, cabbage trees, sedges and native grasses were destroyed.”
Lewin wants to remind the public that fires and fireworks were not permitted in Te Mata Park at any time.
“For the last few years, the trust has worked with Hastings District Council to restrict access to the summit over the Guy Fawkes period by closing Te Mata Peak Rd at the barrier above the Peak House,” he said.
“Unfortunately, we are unable to restrict access to the main gates, where we believe the fire initiated from, and rely on the public to adhere to the fire ban within the park as well as use common sense to protect our whenua [land].”
Fire and Emergency New Zealand said two crews and two tankers responded to the fire at about 10pm on Tuesday.
A restricted fire season kicked off at midday on Tuesday, meaning a permit from Fire and Emergency is required to light a fire in the open air.
Fireworks are still permitted under restricted fire seasons, so Guy Fawkes celebrations on private land could proceed on Wednesday with caution.
Areas now in a restricted fire season run from just south of Wairoa to the Tararua District.
These areas are Esk-Tūtaekurī, to the north and east of Napier; Ahuriri-Heretaunga, which encompasses both Napier and Hastings cities; Tukituki West and Tukituki East, which run along the Ruahine Range and encompass Waipawa and Waipukurau; and the southern Hawke’s Bay coast, which runs from Haumoana south to Pōrangahau, which is also a restricted fire area.
Jack Riddell is a multimedia journalist with Hawke’s Bay Today and has worked in radio and media in Britain, Germany and New Zealand.
A garage fire in Havelock North near Lipscombe Dairy. Video / Supplied

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