Whakapapa Village is being evacuated as a massive blaze continues to rage through Tongariro National Park this evening.
Thirty-six people living in the village, which serves as the main entrance to the park, were warned earlier today that they may need to evacuate, Fire and Emergency New Zealand said in an update this evening.
"Those evacuating will make their way to the Central Plateau Emergency Management Centre in National Park and register so that everyone is accounted for. Those who then need assistance with finding accommodation will be supported by Civil Defence."
Fire and Emergency Assistant Commander Craig Gold said the decision to evacuate the village was made based on the behaviour of the fire today.
"We are erring on the side of caution and getting people out in daylight, after plenty of warning. This way we have time to make sure that everyone is accounted for during daylight."
Firefighters are making headway against the blaze, with the fire now 20% contained after a huge aerial attack.
Fire and Emergency said four ground crews, 12 helicopters, and five fixed-wing aircraft were battling the 1800ha blaze, which broke out around 3.15pm on Saturday near the junction of State Highway 47 and 48. Aerial units would continue operating until twilight and then stand down for the night.
Dozens of hikers were evacuated from two huts, with State Highway 47 Waimarino to Tongariro, the Tongariro Crossing and Northern Circuit remaining closed. Residents in Waimarino were asked to conserve water as a precaution.
Live on the ground from scene of blaze - Watch on TVNZ+
'Good progress': Aerial firefighting efforts beat back blaze
Gold told 1News progress had been made thanks to the "sheer resources" involved in the operation, which he described as one of the largest aerial firefighting efforts New Zealand has seen in recent years.
"We’re now at 20% containment of the fire — it’s still burning across 1600 hectares, but we’ve made good progress," Gold said.
"We currently have 15 helicopters operating and five fixed-wing aircraft, and they’re really making the difference. We’ve been on attack with them since seven o’clock this morning."
Gold said the focus had been on using aircraft rather than large ground crews, given the terrain and the speed at which the fire could spread.
"This is one of the largest-scale aerial operations we’ve had in recent times," he said.
"We're using a lot of aircraft. They deliver big volumes of water in a very short period of time."
While it was too soon to assess the extent of the damage, Gold said the impact on the region would be significant.
“This is a big hit for a region like this, which depends on visitors using the park for recreation and tourism,” he said.
He said crews expected to be fighting the fire "for a number of days", with aerial operations continuing into Monday before ground teams move in to mop up.
The Department of Conservation (DOC) confirmed that 43 hikers and a hut warden were evacuated by helicopter from Mangatepopo Hut overnight, while another nine people were evacuated from Waihohonu Hut this morning.
DOC central North Island operations director Damian Coutts said the full extent of the damage remains unclear.
"The fire has been burning in the Mangatepopo Valley area and it’s too early to say if it has caused any damage to the tracks in the area. At this stage there are no reports of damaged huts or structures," Coutts said.
"We expect there will be significant biodiversity impacts given the size of the fire. Staff will assess this when it is safe to do so. The Mangatepopo Valley area is an important alpine ecosystem."
Five nearby facilities — including the Hillary Outdoors Education Centre, Maungatepopo School Camp, Old Mill, Taurewa Lodge, and Avondale College Lodge — were being evacuated as a precaution while firefighters worked to contain the blaze.
Gold said authorities were considering moving another 35 lodge custodians from the area as a precaution.
"We don’t think the fire will reach those lodges, but I’d rather evacuate them in daylight hours than make that call in the dark."
The inferno continues to burn out of control. (Source: 1News)
A no-fly zone was in place covering the airspace over the fireground and the surrounding area.
Ruapehu Mayor Weston Kirton said the fire was "devastating" for the Tongariro National Park and affected communities.
"Council is standing by to support local communities in every way we can. Our Civil Defence team is on the ground, ready to assist with evacuations or welfare needs, and we are working closely with Government to ensure the necessary resources are available now and through recovery."
An incident control centre had been established at the Central Plateau Emergency Management Centre in Waimarino (National Park).
Civil Defence Minister Mark Mitchell, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka, and Rangitīkei MP Suze Redmayne were travelling to the Central Plateau Emergency Management Centre to support response efforts and receive briefings on the situation.
'Ashes falling down from the sky'
Daisy Borjigin and her group had planned to hike up Mount Tongariro on Saturday afternoon, reaching the summit just in time to watch the sunset.
Borjigin told 1News she first noticed the fire while driving to the start of her hike but thought little of it as she could only see one fire truck in attendance at the time.
“After we passed the Soda Springs spot, we saw the huge smoke rising in the distance and it was all yellow and starting to cover up the whole sky,” she said.
Four kilometres into the hike, she and her group were met by a ranger who instructed them to go to Mangatepopo Hut to be evacuated by helicopter.
This was met by confusion and disappointment by some in her group, who thought the fire still seemed far away.
But the reality of the fire’s scale hit home when they reached the hut.
“There were ashes falling down from the sky,” she said.
“We realised it was more serious than we thought, and we were very grateful for the New Zealand rescue team and our leader.”
The helicopter dropped them off on farmland near Whakapapa Fire Station, where they were provided food, drink, transportation and accommodation.
“We feel very sad for the land and we pray for the animals and the regeneration of the land.”
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