Fire at Whangamarino Wetland in Waikato which is now under control.
Photograph: Provided / FENZ

The fire, which destroyed more than a thousand hectares of Whangamarino Wetland, is now fully contained, but the Department of Conservation says it will likely take decades for the habitat to recover.

The fire broke out on October 21 in a wetland of great ecological and cultural importance, covering approximately 7000 hectares near Meremere in Waikato.

Fire and Emergency returned the land to the Department of Conservation (DOC) on Sunday after taking full control of it.

DOC today confirmed there were no further hot spots after air and ground crews spent the weekend surveying the fire perimeter using thermal drones. A scaled-down monitoring approach will now be implemented.

Regional manager Tinaka Mearns said animals died in the fire and there was a huge loss of habitat.

DOC worked closely with Ngā Muka, liaising with Fire and Emergency, Ngāti Naho, Ngāti Tamaoho, Ngāti Pāoa, Ngāti Māhuta and other groups to ensure that ecologically and culturally sensitive areas threatened by fire were prioritized for protection.

He said the response includes firefighters, their families, employers and the community surrounding the wetland.

“Thanks to the rapid response and coordinated effort of everyone involved, we have preserved approximately 148 hectares of peatland. This area will be critical to the recovery of vegetation as it provides a seed source.”

Mearns said the DOC will work collaboratively on a recovery plan that could take decades to achieve.

The unique habitat supports a wide range of threatened native wetland species, including black mudfish (waikaka), Australasian bittern (matuku-hūrepo) and spotless crake (pūweto). It is also home to threatened plant species and is the only known location of the critically endangered marsh helmet orchid.

The burnt area contains the largest and most intact peatland habitat on Whangamarino.

It is one of the remaining elevated peatlands in the southern hemisphere, and peat soil plays an important role in storing carbon. The fire released an estimated 96,000-181,800 tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Ngā Muka Trust’s Kelvin Tupuhi said the practice of kaitiaki had been well received.

“We are taking positives from this and look forward to the reset of our taonga. Mana whenua will continue to advocate for matauranga Māori throughout the recovery process. Ngā mihi kia koutou katoa.”

Fire and Emergency was alerted to the large vegetation fire at around 1.15pm on 21 October.

Eight helicopters and two fixed-wing aircraft attacked the fire from the air, while firefighters initially worked to ensure the residences were well protected.

The investigation into the place and cause of the fire continues.

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