As Māngere residents made their way to Te Pane o Mataoho for their morning walk today, they were met with the stark reality of the wildfire that damaged over 3 hectares of the sacred maunga.
Marlene Maeava has just returned from her holiday. As she made her way up the maunga, she says she couldn’t help but get ‘emotional.’
Sophie Lamb, who was staying with her parents in Mangere Bridge at the weekend, said the smoke was significant.
“My mum and I woke up; we were both running around the house because we thought we were on fire because just the smell of smoke was so strong. We then went outside, and it was just billowing.” she said
At 9:25 pm, Fire and Emergency received multiple calls about a vegetation fire burning on Mangere Mountain near Domain Road.
19 crews fought the blaze overnight, which grew to more than 3 hectares. While no structures were under threat, an emergency mobile alert was issued due to possible impacts from smoke.
Ehara ia i te maunga noa iho, engari he tangata
Manukau Ward councillor and Māngere resident Alf Filipaina says the community is feeling the impacts of this event. He acknowledges that the mountain is viewed differently by mana whenua and local residents. It’s not just a mountain, but it’s a part of the whānau.
“We have one of our sacred maunga being torched, being set on fire. Whether it be intentionally or not, I feel hurt and sad.” he said.
In a statement, the Tūpuna Maunga Authority says significant fire issues in Maungawhau, Maungarei, and Te Pane o Mataoho have forced them to create rigorous fire guidelines, guided by Fire and Emergency NZ.
One measure they’ve undertaken is creating firebreaks. The 10-metre-wide mown strip around the base of all maunga aims to protect neighbouring properties against the spread of fire from the maunga and vice-versa
Fire and Emergency Incident Controller Dale Tawa has cautioned people who decide to walk up the maunga.
“Windy conditions may mobilise ash and debris into the air. If they see smoke, they should call 111.”
The cause of the fire is yet to be formally be confirmed. Tawa says that a FENZ fire investigator is working with Police to establish the cause of the original fire and yesterday’s reignition
