Volunteer firefighters backed by four fire appliances and a support vehicle have extinguished a 30m-long fire burning in a hedge near a rural Southland house. Two fire appliances from Mataura and two from Hedgehope helped fight the fire and protected the rural property after firefighters were alerted at 3.28pm today, a Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said. A digger was then also used to help extinguish the fire and to further protect the house, on Te Tipua School Rd, west of Mataura. Some firefighters had remained at the scene two and a half hours after being called, he said.

Source: Otago Daily Times April 17, 2021 07:30 UTC