KEY POINTS:
- Pigeon Valley fire continued to "burn actively overnight" as it burns through its fifth day.
- The blaze covers 2100ha with a perimeter of 27km.
- About 100 personnel fought the fire overnight.
- About 1000 houses and 3500 people had been evacuated.
- With 22 helicopters battling the blazes, it is the largest aerial firefight on record.
- It is also the largest forest fire since a blaze in Canterbury in 1955.
Police are warning residents of Wai-iti, south of Wakefield, to prepare to evacuate this evening as one of the county's largest ever forest fires continues to burn.
Inspector Zane Hooper, Acting Tasman District Commander said any further evacuations would be entirely dependant on conditions, which were being monitored constantly.
He urged residents of the area, estimated to be around 450, to be prepared because "if you need to leave, you will need to leave quickly."
Members of the New Zealand Defence Force were assisting police with evacuations, managing staged convoys along SH6 to avoid congestion.
The fire "continued to burn actively overnight", Nelson Tasman Civil Defence said this morning.
"Over 100 personnel worked hard throughout the night to fight the fire and create a control line with fire breaks now right along the perimeter. There is still large amounts of unburnt vegetation within the control line."
About 2500 people had been evacuated from their homes in the Pigeon Valley and the nearby town of Wakefield. Hundreds of firefighters have travelled from around the country to assist.
With 22 helicopters battling the blazes from the air, it is the largest aerial firefight on record and is the largest forest fire since a blaze in Canterbury in 1955.
At a press conference at Appleby School this morning, Civil Defence incident controller Roger Ball said there remains a threat to life and property.
He couldn't speculate how long emergency will last.
"The situation is changeable. It is dynamic."
John Sutton, incident controller for the Pigeon Valley fire, said there was high humidity and wind gusts of 30kmh expected today, and 50kmh tomorrow.
"I'm worried about tomorrow. We are in quite a good place strategically. But we are in the hands of the gods tomorrow. Because there are predicted to be 50kmh. What can be done today will be important."
The fire is less than 10km from Wakefield. If it reaches the river flats it's 2km away.
At the river flats there's a change in the vegetation type.
"Our chances of getting the fire out are better, but you can't put people in front of the fire. It's a double edged sword."
Zane Hooper, acting district commander police, said 110 police staff from outside Tasman had been brought in to help. Forty police college recruits have also been sworn and sent to help.
He thanked the community for support. Iwi had opened up marae to help.
"We understand the community wanting to know how he fire started. We will be following up but focus remains on public safety.
"If you do not have any business being in an evacuated area, don't be there."
A New Zealand Defence Force spokesman said 50 personnel had come from Burnham to help. There were also others from Woodbourne, he said.
Richard Kempthorne, Tasman mayor, said "people come first, properties come second".
"Everybody involved is doing a tremendous job. This is still a very active fire.
"We're still in a very volatile situation. It is likely to be days that the volatility will still be there, even if we have good weather."
Over 100 firefighters were out overnight.
After the press conference at Appleby School, residents gathered for a community meeting.
Kempthorne thanked the 100 residents gathered for their patience.
"Everything is being done to get the fire under control.
"We are still in a state of emergency declaration and that's likely to continue for days.
I understand the stress this is causing. Talk to your family, if you're finding it hard."
He thanked Kris Faafoi, civil defence Minister.
"I said we might like to set up a standing February invitation because this time last year we were here for Cyclone Gita."
A postie attended to give mail to people out of their properties.
Hooper said: "We fully understand what you're going through. Our people live in Wakefield."
A MPI spokeswoman said 350 animals were being kept at the Showgrounds. There were everything from turtles to horses there.
William Ranger, medical officer of healt, said people with heart condition should stay inside and turn off air con that draws air from outside.
West Coast Tasman MP Damien O'Connor said: "We haven't lost anyone and that is the most important thing. We'll get through this."
Nick Smith, Nelson MP, said: "I've seen people out with chainsaws. I was shocked to see someone throwing their smoke butt out.
"We've got to make sure we are aware of the fire risk."
Mass evacuation
Residents from 860 homes were evacuated from the town of Wakefield yesterday because of concerns that embers in the nearby Pigeon Valley were being thrown up to 800 metres.
Police have cordons and security patrols in place north of of SH6 between Pigeon Valley Road and Simmonds Road and in the area bordered by Barton Lane, Higgins Road and Baigent Valley Road.
As a precautionary measure, remaining residents in Wakefield should be ready to evacuate, Civil Defence said.
Residents in the rural areas east of Wakefield who are outside the evacuation zone will have managed access from 8am to 6pm today. The New Zealand Defence Fore will be running escorted convoys through the portion of SH6 that runs through Wakefield township. This will allow access through Wakefield for residents who would otherwise not be able to get past cordons on Eighty Eight Valley Rd, Totara Rd, Church Valley Rd and Bridge Valley Rd.
The highway remains closed for all other traffic.
"The escorted convoys will be running straight through the town with no stopping or diversions," a Civil defence spokesman said.
"They is not an opportunity for residents within the evacuation zone to check on property."
Earlier in the week, 398 residents were evacuated from the Pigeon Valley area and one person has been hospitalised suffering from smoke inhalation.
"It is so dry and we are very vulnerable," said Tasman Mayor Richard Kempthorne, who urged the public to be vigilant.
"Just one spark can cause the next blaze."
A Nelson Tasman Civil Defence and Emergency Management spokesman said this morning drones would be doing further assessment and monitoring of the fire line through the smoke.
During the day yesterday resources included 22 helicopters, two fixed-wing planes
141 personnel, and 15 heavy machines (excavators and dozers).
Many evacuees appeared to have found new shelter with friends and family. A Civil Defence evacuation shelter at Saxton Stadium was eerily quiet.
Police said they and defence force personnel were going door-to-door to every property in the community to make sure that the evacuation was completed.
For the full list of Road Closures, visit nelsontasmancivildefence.co.nz.
A Mayoral Relief fund has been set up. Those wanting to donate can use the following details:
Include in the reference "relief fund" and your name and contact phone number.
Walters Bluff fire
Yesterday afternoon, as firefighters battled the first fire at Pigeon Valley, a new fire broke out alarmingly close to the Nelson city centre on Walters Bluff about 3pm.
Firefighters had already been diverted on Wednesday to another fire on Rabbit Island which has since been dampened.
There were suspicions the two new fires were deliberately lit.
Some of the helicopters near the city fire yesterday were temporarily grounded after a drone was sighted, prompting officials to urge residents to "please stop" interfering with their operations.
Police confirmed that a 49-year-old man was arrested in the area on a disorder offence, but would not say whether it was related to the fire.
The fire was said to have spread rapidly up a hill. Thirty-five residents self-evacuated.
While huge plumes of smoke could be seen across the city, roads were closed and cellphone coverage went down.
Civil Defence said this morning the fire was "under control" and firefighters were still there this morning.
Residents had been let back into the cordon.
Biggest fire in 64 years
The Pigeon Valley fire wreaking havoc has become New Zealand's largest forest fire in 64 years.
Fire scientist Grant Pearce said the Pigeon Valley fire was one of New Zealand's four biggest forest fires and similar in size to the Hira fire of 1981 that burned 1972ha close to Nelson City.
The largest forest fire on record was in 1946 when more than 30,000ha burned in the central North Island near Taupo, including 11,000ha of pine plantations. The next biggest was at Balmoral, Canterbury in 1955 when 3152ha burned.
Pearce, of the Scion Rural Fire Research Group, said New Zealand has also experienced a number of large grassland and scrub fires, including the Ohinewairua fire in the central North Island in 1983 that wiped out 15,000ha of tussock and beech forest.
Pearce said the fires were relatively small in international terms — some wildfires in the Australian states of Victoria and New South Wales exceeded 100,000ha.
The current wildfires in Tasmania have burned more than 30,000ha.
