Fire in outbuildings at Castlepoint on Friday night. PHOTOS/LIZ EBREY
SUE TEODORO
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Prompt action by rural volunteer firefighters stopped a fire in outbuildings getting out of control at Castlepoint over the weekend.
Five fire trucks were called to the blaze on Jetty Rd, which started just before 7pm on Friday.
Firefighters from Tinui and Castlepoint controlled the fire and put it out before it spread.
They did not need the help of the Masterton Fire Station, which had sent three trucks as a precaution.
The fire was out before the Masterton trucks arrived, and they were stood down.
A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said a tractor had caught fire next to a shed, which caused the shed to ignite.
The rural fire brigades successfully fought the blaze, with a witness saying they were on the scene within five minutes.
Wellington resident Liz Ebrey and her parents were spending the weekend at the Castlepoint Holiday Park and Motels, across the road from the fire.
“My parents heard a loud boom and then we all heard the fire alarm going off,” she said.
They went out into the street to see what was going on.
“A tractor was on fire, and the shed it was parked next to.
“You could see there was a fire in the shed. It was really raging inside the shed when we got there. There was a house and some outbuildings nearby.”
“Firefighters got there within five minutes and had hoses up immediately. They needed axes to hack into the shed.”
Ebrey estimated the fire was brought under control within half an hour.
She said the fast response meant nearby buildings had been prevented from catching fire.
“The firefighters were very quick. It was very well-co-ordinated and efficient.”
Masterton fire station officer Doug Flowerday said the fire was already controlled before they arrived at the scene, and they weren’t needed.
A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said it wasn’t clear what had caused the fire in the tractor, but it could have involved nesting birds.
