05/11/2024
The fire that burnt through more than 1,000 hectares of the internationally significant Whangamarino wetland is fully controlled after nine days.
Over Labour Weekend our aerial and ground crews inspected along the fire perimeter using thermal drones, and today we can confirm there are no further hotspots.
The burnt area contains the largest and most intact raised peatland habitat in Whangamarino. This globally rare habitat is one of the few remaining raised peatlands in the southern hemisphere.
The unique habitat supports a high diversity of threatened native wetland species, including black mudfish/waikaka, Australasian bittern/matuku-hลซrepo, and spotless crake/pลซweto. It also hosts many threatened plant species and is the only known location of the critically endangered swamp helmet orchid.
Individual animals will have perished in this fire, and there has been an enormous loss of habitat.
However, we protected around 148 hectares of peatland, thanks to the quick response and co-ordinated effort of everyone involved and this area will be critical to the vegetation recovery.
We wish to extend our huge gratitude to everyone who helped with this collaborative effort to control the fire.
Read more details here: https://bit.ly/3AlmbMj
