Fire and Emergency incident controller Nigel Dravitzki said there has been an improvement in the condition of the fire at Tongariro National Park due to the weather and those working to fight the blaze.
This has allowed evacuated residents to return back to their homes.
“For now, it will be residents only, that means people who run businesses from their properties cannot have clients or customers on site.
“We will reassess the situation tomorrow,” said Dravitzki.
Hau kainga o Tongariro, Te Ngaehe Wanikau (Ngāti Hikairo ki Tongariro), told media that three marae were open to anyone displaced by the fires, and that they were also supplying food to those in the area.
“What we’re doing is what all hapū do, they look after the people that come into the area, and they look after, they ensure their safety and do our best for their well-being. We do that for our whenua, and we are now doing that for the people that are engaged in this operation.
“The maunga will recover, and it will be stronger than it was before this.”
Wanikau is calling for restoration to be an immediate response after the fire is out, and not to allow it to go into the “too hard basket”.
Department of Conservation’s Damian Coutts said over 2,800 hectares of the national park due to the fire.
He is glad many physical assets were saved, but said the impact on biodiversity is going to be “significant”
Dravitzki said firefighters are currently trying to reinforce the containment lines.
FENZ is expected to stay on the ground for the next few days, with eight FENZ crews, seven DOC crews, and additional volunteer firefighters currently on site.
