Firefighters battling two 'suspicious' fires at Northland wildlife sanctuary

February 24, 2020

Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s Rory Renwick says two fires came close to nearby houses.

A breeding ground for one of New Zealand's most endangered birds, the Fairy Tern, has gone up in flames in Northland.

Fire crews have been fighting two "suspicious" fires at the Ruakaka Wildlife Sanctuary today, which also threatened nearby homes.

Multiple fire engines and three helicopters have been battling the blazes which began this afternoon.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand's Rory Renwick says authorities don't yet know how the fires started.

"It is suspicious for a fire to miraculously start in the dunes and especially in this case there was two at the same time so we're very keen to hear from anyone who saw anyone in the area or knows anything about it," says Mr Renwick.

He says the fires have burnt around one and a half hectares.

"We were fortunate in this case that the river was there to help us contain it on one side but it was very close to some houses," he says.

"It was a very real threat this fire."

Fire and Emergency NZ expect the blazes to burn throughout the night

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