Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

Mt Allan could be NZ's costliest fire operation

Updated at 7:03 pm on 15 March 2010

The massive firefighting operation at Mount Allan near Dunedin could become the country's most expensive, with a projected cost of more than $1 million.

The 820 hectare fire started three weeks ago, and as many as 30 firefighters are still at the scene dousing hotspots.

Internal Affairs Minister Nathan Guy visited Dunedin on Monday for a briefing on the fire.

He praised the efforts of helicopter pilots and ground crews who have been hampered at times by hot, dry and windy weather.

National Rural Fire Officer Murray Dudfield says the cost of the firefighting operation is likely to exceed $1 million, a first for New Zealand.

But he says the cost of fighting another fire still smouldering in Northland wetlands is likely to also top the $1 million mark.

An investigation into the cause of the Mount Allan blaze is continuing.

The forest is owned by Wenita Forest Products, and its chief executive David Cormack says the weather has been dry and windy during the past 21 days.

He says a few days of rain would really help cool the forest down.

He praised firefighters, describing their work as smoky, dirty and gruelling.

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