Fire & Emergency New Zealand

Pigeon Valley Fire update 55 - 21:45 hours 16/02/2019

Pigeon Valley Fire update 55 - 21:45 hours 16/02/2019

Restricted Access Visits

Residents of Teapot, Eves and Redwood Valley, and those from Pigeon Valley who are still evacuated, will have restricted entry to their properties tomorrow, weather and fire conditions permitting.

Restricted access for Teapot, Eves and Pigeon Valleys will be from 8am to 2pm.

A decision on access to Redwood Valley will be made on Sunday morning.

Civil Defence Controller Jim Frater said that the final decision would be made at 7am on
Sunday based on assessments and advice from Fire and Emergency NZ and Police,
relating to the fire and the weather conditions.

“At this stage, conditions are not looking favourable for restricted residential access for
any of the Valley residents on Monday, but we will be reassessing that tomorrow,” Mr
Frater said. “You may want to take advantage of the restricted access tomorrow in the
knowledge that you may not be able to get back in again before Tuesday.”

A rise in wind is forecast later tomorrow, continuing overnight into Monday, which
means that it is unlikely that there will be conditional re-entry for the remainder of
Pigeon Valley residents tomorrow.