Firefighters return to out-of-control wildfire in Tongariro National Park

Whakapapa Village has been evacuated, as fire rips through 2500 hectares of vegetation inside the Tongariro National Park.

The fire east of Waimarino is only partly contained, say firefighters.

Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ) said 36 people who lived in the village were warned earlier on Sunday that they may need to evacuate.

"Those evacuating will make their way to the Central Plateau Emergency Management Centre in National Park and register, so that everyone is accounted for," said FENZ assistant commander Craig Gold. "Those who then need assistance with finding accommodation will be supported by Civil Defence."

Gold said the decision to evacuate the village was made based on the fire's behaviour on Sunday.

"We are erring on the side of caution and getting people out in daylight, after plenty of warning. This way, we have time to make sure that everyone is accounted for during daylight."

A control centre for emergency staff has been set up in the central North Island, as firefighters battle a widespread tussock blaze.

Fifteen helicopters and three fixed-wing aircraft are dropping water over the flames. Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ) said the aerial units will continue until twilight and then stand down for the night.

Gold said the fire now covered an estimated 2500 hectares and was 20 percent contained.

Trampers, lodges and the Hillary Outdoors Centre have been evacuated, and residents are being advised to keep their pets close and be ready to leave their homes, if necessary.

The Ruapehu District Council said residents should also keep doors and windows closed to minimise their exposure to smoke.

All tracks and huts within the Tongariro National Park are closed, and State Highway 48 leading to Whakapapa Village and State Highway 47 at the intersection with State Highway 4 at Waimarino are also closed.

Waimarino people are being asked to conserve water as a precaution, although the township's supply is not under threat.

Ruapehu Mayor Weston Kirton and Taupō Mayor John Funnell were planning to fly over the affected area this afternoon to gain a better understanding of the extent of the fire.

They also expected to meet Civil Defence Minister Mark Mitchell, Conservation Minister Tama Potaka and local MP Suze Redmayne, who travelled to the emergency centre to support response efforts and be briefed.

Kirton said there was widespread disruption and concern.

"It's a huge concern, when you see 1600 hectares - and growing a number of hectares at that - go up in smoke," he said. "It's just unbelievable and certainly devastating for all concerned.

"It's a real fight on our hands to try to contain it, the winds may change and also the fine weather is probably not helping, with warm air. Nevertheless, we've got 13 helicopters fighting the fire, we've got three fixed-wing aircraft that have 2000 litres [of water] on board each trip, trying to contain it.

"Roads closed, we had trampers who had to be evacuated. Obviously, safety is a big issue, police have cordoned off areas - National Park and on the other side as well, in the Taupō District Council area.

"It's one of those situations where it's all hands on deck and we're really hoping that we can contain this in a short space of time."

The Hillary Outdoors Education Centre, the Maungatepopo School Camp, the Old Mill, the Taurewa Lodge and the Avondale College Lodge were evacuated.

Dozens of hikers were also evacuated from the park and the public was asked to stay away from the area.

A business owner says Tongariro National Park resembles a hellscape, as a massive forest fire continues to burn.

Fire and Emergency (FENZ) said the blaze has swelled in size and is now estimated to be covering about 1000ha and remains out of control.

Dozens of hikers have been evacuated from the park, and the public is asked to stay away from the area.

'Like a hellscape'

Skotel Alpine Resort owner Sam Clarkson said they had a grandstand view of the fire last night.

"It was like a hellscape, you know, welcome to Mordor, it really was."

"Last night, there was quite a brisk westerly wind, which pushed the fire both east and northwards and the wall of flame was enormous... I would estimate some of those flames are 30m high."

"It was hard to see across the flame to the far side, but any time we did, it was just this wall of orange that was at least 4km long and everything that the fire service were valiantly trying to throw at was achieving nothing."

He said fortunately the fire was heading away from his hotel, progressing up the Mangatepopo Road towards the Tongariro Crossing.

The the wind had since dropped along with a blanket of fog on Sunday morning, but rain was not forecast until Monday, Clarkson said.

"I watched, literally weeping as the fire went closer and closer and closer to the hill Pukeonake, which is a sensitive sub-alpine environment where the little communities of plant life all huddle together and live out their lives, and it just got toasted," he said.

"It's just an ecological disaster. There is no risk to people or structures, unless the wind really got up."

Despite six weeks of rain, the fire has proven to be insatiable, he said.

"The park was utterly saturated and then it fined up about a week ago, and I think we'd only had seven or eight days of fine weather in a row after a good six weeks of solid rain and you would not think that it's that tinder dry."

"But you see, the predominant species in the park, at least on the flats, is tea tree, and tea tree is the most flammable native plant there is - once it's off, it's away."

The community had rallied together in the face of the evacuation and closure of Tongariro National Park, he said.

On Saturday, 43 hikers and a warden from Mangatepopo Hut were airlifted out in response to the fire according to the Department of Conservation (DOC).

"In fact, we ended up putting up those people and feeding them... we were part of the effort to look after everybody," Clarkson said.

On Sunday morning, a further nine hikers were evacuated from the national park, having left Waihohonu Hut, a DOC spokesperson said.

DOC said it expects there will be "significant biodiversity impacts", given the size of the fire.

'Pretty chill about it'

A local who runs a food truck in Waimarino, a township near Tongariro National Park, said locals were hopeful the fire would not be fanned by winds that had picked up slightly on Sunday.

Johnny Ryburn said he was down swimming at the Whakapapa River on Saturday when the blaze began.

"It pretty much kicked off while I was out there, it was pretty small when it started and from what I know started around the the road that takes you towards the Tongariro Crossing and from there it's just got massive and gone up the road and stuck towards the side of Tongariro."

Despite this, locals were not too worried, Ryburn said.

"Everybody's still pretty chill about it, you know, I think because it seems to be staying a lot closer to Tongariro and [Mount] Ngauruhoe that people aren't super concerned." he said.

Six fire trucks, five tankers, 12 helicopters and five planes

Firefighters from Taranaki and Manawatū-Whanganui were briefed on Sunday morning, before beginning work on the second day of operations.

Gold said five planes and 12 helicopters were deploy on Sunday to fight the fire.

Assistant commander Nick West said the fire service will have six fire trucks and five tankers on the fireground, supported by six helicopters and two aeroplanes.

There are no reports of structures being damaged or destroyed and no residents were evacuated overnight.

West said it could take a full day of operations to bring the fire under control.

An RNZ reporter on the scene said the southern line of the fire stretched from SH47 a number of kilometres east into the scrub and young pine, but it was not clear whether the fire had reached the Tongariro crossing track itself.

The were huge flames in a couple of places in the line, and helicopters appeared to be concentrating on those areas.

The cause of the fire has not been established and a specialist wildfire investigator will be working on Sunday.

Residents in the area are being urged to stay alert to the fire, and keep doors and windows shut to minimise exposure to the smoke. Anyone who feels unsafe, or is vulnerable to smoke is encouraged to self-evacuate and stay with family or friends.

FENZ advises those to the north of the fire should go towards Turangi and those to the south of the fire should go towards National Park.

State Highway 47 Waimarino to Tongariro remains closed between the intersections with State Highway 48 and State Highway 46 with no detours available.

The Department of Conservation has closed the Tongariro Crossing and associated areas.

A no fly zone is in place covering the airspace over the fireground and surrounding area, so that firefighting aircraft are not endangered by other aircraft or drones.

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