Dunedin man Andy Winneke caught sight of the blaze from where he was camping with his family. Photo: Andy WinnekeThe fire that gutted Lake Ohau Village is unlike anything New Zealand has ever experienced, a fire researcher says after scouring the scene. "It’s not something I guess I expected to see on that scale here in New Zealand in my career," he said. Fenz estimated fire crews saved four or five houses in Lake Ohau Village but Mr Pearce said he believed up to three times that number of houses were saved directly by firefighters’ efforts. The devastation of the Lake Ohau fire highlighted the Waitaki District Council’s need for an emergency relief fund, Waitaki Mayor Gary Kircher said.

Source: Otago Daily Times October 16, 2020 15:33 UTC