Veteran helicopter pilot Alan Beck, 72, still has the passion for fighting fires. The helicopter industry doyen spent February 2017 fighting the Port Hills fires and this February he is on his sixth day behind the controls of his heavy-hitter Huey, combating the Nelson fires. GEORGE HEARD/STUFF Veteran chopper pilot Alan Beck is into his sixth day of fighting the Nelson fires. Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) was set up before the Port Hills fires in Christchurch in 2017 but the Nelson fires are its first big test. Beck said the Nelson fires were harder to fight than the Port Hills fires.

Source: Stuff February 09, 2019 23:15 UTC