The Warrington fire, in Ferguson St and Hill St, started in a transformer about 3.30pm on Saturday and destroyed a shed and a boat inside it, damaged a garage and rendered a house temporarily unlivable.
Access to a nearby pool provided fire crews with water, helping to save the house.
Waitati Chief Fire Officer Jeff Burrow, whose crew was first on the scene, said the blaze was well-involved when crews arrived.
"We arrived and the hedge beside the laneway was well and truly on fire.
"If we had been delayed by another five minutes it would have been a different story."
He said the lack of water supply at Warrington meant crews broke in to the Warrington School swimming pool.
"It’s something we’ve talked about in planning, the pool was one of the resources we could access if short on water.
"The fire was raging and there were four houses imminently in danger, so it was necessary."
Waitati Volunteer Fire Brigade firefighter Jody Williams said he had more motivation than most to put the fire out — his home was three doors down from the fire.
"I certainly had a vested interest in getting it out."
His wife and son watched as he fought the fire.
"Most of us said it was one of the quickest spreading fires we had seen, it was surprising.
"To see something like that in a residential area is quite uncommon."
The macrocarpa hedges in the area were well established and as a result contained large amounts of burnable material,
Mr Williams said.
"They’re very flammable, when they go they go."
He was considering removing macrocarpa at his own property.
"I’m considering cutting my hedge down, they’re good at what they’re designed for but are extremely combustible."
Mr Burrow said the hedges in the area were well maintained, but old macrocarpa hedges posed a large risk of fire.
"They have a lot of dead material inside — even after rain they’re quite dry.
He said when trimming hedges, all of the cuttings needed
to be removed.
"Take the waste away, don’t just leave it there.
"In extreme fire danger, even think about hosing underneath to keep it damp."
Powernet, which operates the transformer, said it would be investigating.
