Mt Wellington/Maungarei fire caused by fireworks

Caroline Williams Reporter from East & Bays Courier

Hi neighbours, a large fire on Maungarei seen from across the city on Tuesday night was "very likely" caused by fireworks, Fire and Emergency NZ said, adding that a group of about eight people had been seen acting suspicious in the area prior to the fire. The Tūpuna Maunga Authority is now calling for a total ban on the private sale of fireworks, given it has only been six months since Guy Fawkes night fireworks caused fires on Maungarei and Maungawhau/Mt Eden.
"Only a national ban on the sale of fireworks will prevent them being in the hands of people who continue to put the public and our ancestral heritage at risk," authority chair Paul Majurey said.