Raetihi Forest Fire
Encyclopedia
Raetihi Forest fire was a great fire that occurred on the 19–20 March 1918 in and around the townships of Raetihi
and Ohakune
on the North Island
of New Zealand
.
The great fire itself was a major catastophe. It burned for two days devastating areas of forest and almost destroying the townships of Raetihi
and Ohakune
. Along with the great stands of Rimu
and other large stands of podocarps in the North Island Volcanic Plateau
of New Zealand
. 150 houses and nine sawmills were lost. Three people died as a result of the fire when their farmhouse was burned. There were reports that schools 100 kilometres away were closed and that the skies were darkened with the amount of smoke in the air.
It was generally thought but never confirmed that the forest was set alight by coals dropped from a railway engine from the newly developed North Island Main Trunk Railway.
Raetihi
Raetihi is a town in the central North Island of New Zealand. It is located at the junction of State Highways 4 and 49, 11 kilometres west of Ohakune. The 2006 New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings recorded its population as 1,035. This constitutes a decrease of 3.4% or 36 people since...
and Ohakune
Ohakune
Ohakune is a town in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located at the southern end of the Tongariro National Park, close to the southwestern slopes of the active volcano Mount Ruapehu. Part of the Manawatu-Wanganui region, the town is 70 kilometres northeast of Wanganui, and 25 kilometres west...
on the North Island
North Island
The North Island is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the much less populous South Island by Cook Strait. The island is in area, making it the world's 14th-largest island...
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
The great fire itself was a major catastophe. It burned for two days devastating areas of forest and almost destroying the townships of Raetihi
Raetihi
Raetihi is a town in the central North Island of New Zealand. It is located at the junction of State Highways 4 and 49, 11 kilometres west of Ohakune. The 2006 New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings recorded its population as 1,035. This constitutes a decrease of 3.4% or 36 people since...
and Ohakune
Ohakune
Ohakune is a town in the North Island of New Zealand. It is located at the southern end of the Tongariro National Park, close to the southwestern slopes of the active volcano Mount Ruapehu. Part of the Manawatu-Wanganui region, the town is 70 kilometres northeast of Wanganui, and 25 kilometres west...
. Along with the great stands of Rimu
Rimu
Rimu can mean the following:*Dacrydium cupressinum, also rimu, a tree endemic to New Zealand*Rimu, Southland, a locality in Southland, New Zealand*Rimu, West Coast, a locality in the West Coast region of New Zealand...
and other large stands of podocarps in the North Island Volcanic Plateau
North Island Volcanic Plateau
The North Island Volcanic Plateau is a volcanic plateau covering much of central North Island of New Zealand with volcanoes, lava plateaus, and crater lakes....
of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. 150 houses and nine sawmills were lost. Three people died as a result of the fire when their farmhouse was burned. There were reports that schools 100 kilometres away were closed and that the skies were darkened with the amount of smoke in the air.
It was generally thought but never confirmed that the forest was set alight by coals dropped from a railway engine from the newly developed North Island Main Trunk Railway.