The fire at Closeburn, suspected to have been started by fireworks, burned less than 100ha but killed mature pine trees and melted the roof of one house. Department of Conservation crews, police, and the Queenstown Lakes District Council combined to bring the fire under control.
Dozens of people were evacuated from Alpine Retreat and the Closeburn community, with six helicopters and five ground crew eventually able to bring it under control.
The emergency was replayed yesterday, during the "Red Zone" exercise, run by the National Incident Management Team and involving 40 fire incident management personnel from Doc, the Queenstown Lakes District Council, the Central Otago District Council, the Dunedin City Council, the Clutha District Council, Wenita Forest Products, police and the New Zealand Fire Service.
Yesterday's scenario was based on a fire, originating in Lochy Rd, within the high risk Red Zone area. The 40 personnel worked on the basis there was a threat to the 500 houses in the area,along with an "evacuation" from the Skyline Gondola and Alpine Retreat, as the "fire" grew before the wind changed.
While the desk-top based exercise was a valuable learning tool for all involved, including Incident Controller Bryan Cartelle, of Auckland, it was also timely for Alpine Retreat residents - who were "evacuated" at 6pm yesterday, testing their own responses.
Department of Conservation Wakatipu Rural Fire Officer Jamie Cowan said the Fire Service and Doc had worked closely with the residents of the suburb, which is accessed via Moke Lake Rd and surrounded by trees, to ensure they were "fire smart".
"We have gone up to the site with Fire Service representatives, gone about their houses and told them they need to increase their defensible space.
"Each community has fire wardens. Alpine Retreat has four."
Doc Wakatipu area manager Greg Lind said a lot of work had been done with the department and the community regarding awareness for residents living "with that type of environment".
The types of vegetation surrounding areas like Alpine Retreat posed risks to the community which they understood now.
"They didn't in 2004-05.""It's all about education ... they choose to live in an environment like that, we can only make them aware of the implications."
