Browns Island fire update

The fire on Browns Island is being well managed following the overnight efforts of Auckland Rural Fire crews, assisted by the New Zealand Fire Service.

Helicopters with monsoon buckets provided good “knock-down” support this morning to help control the spread of the fire.

These have since been stood down and now ground crews are targeting hotspots and securing the perimeter of the fire.

The fire, which started around 7.30pm yesterday evening, has covered 13.2 hectares of the island.

Principal Rural Fire Officer Bryan Cartelle says the nature of the vegetation, kikuyu grass, tends to hold a lot of dry matter which can burn under the green layer of grass.

“This can make extinguishing a fire more challenging but the crews working today and overnight have done a sterling job.

“We expect we will also have crews on the island until tomorrow to monitor the situation.”

ENDS

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