Large-Scale Forest Fire Near Whanganui Spreads Across Over 100 Hectares at Lismore Forest
A major forest fire at Lismore Forest near Whanganui has spread across more than 100 hectares following its initial report at 5:15pm on Sunday. The blaze has ripped through cutover pine forest across several gullies and expanded to reach standing trees, with active burning occurring in multiple locations across the fire ground.
The fire spread through cutover forest terrain initially, but by 10pm on Sunday had advanced to standing tree areas. Firefighting crews were forced to scale back their response as darkness fell, given the steep and challenging terrain of the forest area. A small crew remained on site throughout the night to patrol the property and extinguish spot fires that emerged along the access road.
By Monday morning, the full firefighting response resumed operations at maximum capacity. Five helicopters were deployed to the scene with additional ground crews staged to arrive throughout the day in staggered deployments to maintain sustained pressure on containing the fire.
The current fire behaviour presented a complex tactical challenge for incident controllers. The fire has moved into ground fuels underneath the tall standing trees across the property. Firefighting strategy focused on preventing the fire from spreading up tree trunks into the canopy of taller trees, which would significantly escalate the fire's intensity and spread. Crews concentrated efforts on managing the fire within ground-level fuels while working to maintain it in a containable state.
Weather conditions played a critical role in fire management strategy. Monday morning conditions featured relatively light winds and increasing temperatures. However, forecasts predicted a significant shift in afternoon conditions, with a north-westerly wind expected to strengthen to 20-25 kilometres per hour with potential gusts exceeding that speed. Humidity levels were forecast to drop considerably in the afternoon, conditions that would substantially increase fire behaviour and spread potential.
The incident controller directed a strategic approach to fire suppression, prioritising immediate threats while managing secondary concerns. Areas within the cutover forest showing active fire were allowed to continue burning in controlled conditions while crews concentrated resources on higher-priority zones. This required extensive strategy and prioritisation given the varying fuel types across the fire ground.
The cause of the fire had not yet been determined at the time of reporting. No residential properties were evacuated in connection with the fire, and the containment strategy focused on managing the fire within the forest boundaries rather than addressing threats to nearby communities.