Rain helps tame wildfire in New Zealand’s oldest national park

A large wildfire burning through New Zealand’s oldest national park has probably been extinguished after steady rainfall helped to suppress the flames, authorities said on Monday. The fire in Tongariro National Park, a popular hiking spot in New Zealand’s central North Island, broke out on Saturday and has so far burnt through 2,500 hectares (10 square miles) of alpine bush. In an update late Monday, Fire and Emergency New Zealand said an afternoon observation flight found “no visible signs of fire”.

“This is very good news,” District Commander Nigel Dravitzki said in a statement. The rainfall had a “significant impact” in helping to suppress the blaze, along with crews on the ground working on the fire’s flanks, he said. “We are very mindful that another change in the weather could alter the situation and lead to a resurgence of fire activity, so we are planning for all contingencies,” he added. Foggy conditions had hampered firefighting efforts earlier in the day, grounding helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft.

There are no reports of structures being damaged by the fire, which forced the evacuation of some residents and hikers over the weekend. Civil Defence Minister Mark Mitchell told the New Zealand Herald he had “no idea” how the fire started, but said it was being treated as a crime scene by officials.