Protected land owned by music producer Mutt Lange burned in large blaze near Queenstown
Sept 30, 2019 17:47:41 GMT -8
CindyJ and savagegroove like this
Post by Greta on Sept 30, 2019 17:47:41 GMT -8
This is a piece of a longer article. Though Mutt is very private, his property manager spoke to a newspaper about the incident.
Protected land owned by music producer Mutt Lange burned in large blaze near Queenstown
by Debbie Jamieson
A massive fire near Queenstown ripped though hundreds of hectares of protected land owned by music producer Mutt Lange.
The 200-hectare fire started on a neighbouring property and spread to Coronet Peak Station, owned by Lange, the former husband of singer Shania Twain.
The music producer, who is based in Switzerland, is well known in the music industry and has worked with artists and bands including Lady Gaga, Maroon 5, AC/DC and Def Leppard.
Russell Hamilton, who manages Lange's Queenstown property, said the fire burnt through mostly scrub land, with some wilding tress affected.
"We're very lucky it didn't go further," Hamilton said. "There was quite a bit of wind and it is very dry. It made us very nervous."
Lange bought the property in 2011 and turned it into conservation land in 2014, when the Mahu Whenua QEII Trust covenants were put in place. They cover 53,000ha over most of the Motatapu, Mount Soho, Glencoe and Coronet Peak Stations.
It is the largest private covenant in New Zealand and is intended to protect and enhance the native high country land.
Hamilton said it was likely the affected land would regenerate quickly but the weekend's fire was a "wake up call".
"We all need to be pretty careful when it comes to these areas. When an area is under covenant you do get a build up of tinder and it's more of a risk that it would have otherwise been."
He said he was surprised to hear firefighters discovered a lone sheep wandering a ridge line above the fire. "It wouldn't have been ours. It probably got out from one of the freehold blocks near there."
Central Otago deputy principal rural fire officer Mark Mawhinney said a full investigation into the cause of the fire was yet to start but it appeared someone lit a pile of branches and bark at a property in the remote valley on Friday, and again on Saturday.
It was put out but reignited in dry conditions on Saturday afternoon, burning about 200ha, a woodshed and truck.
Five helicopters with monsoon buckets were used to control the fire, while Fire and Emergency New Zealand crews from Glenorchy, Arrowtown, Luggate, Queenstown and Tarras tackled the blaze from the ground.
The fire was extinguished on Sunday.
Mawhinney said he suspected the person who lit the fire thought it was out and left the area.
"[The person] wasn't on site but even if he was he mightn't have had time to do much. It's jumped, gotten into some of the vegetation and soared up the hill."
Source/remainder of the article
Protected land owned by music producer Mutt Lange burned in large blaze near Queenstown
by Debbie Jamieson
A massive fire near Queenstown ripped though hundreds of hectares of protected land owned by music producer Mutt Lange.
The 200-hectare fire started on a neighbouring property and spread to Coronet Peak Station, owned by Lange, the former husband of singer Shania Twain.
The music producer, who is based in Switzerland, is well known in the music industry and has worked with artists and bands including Lady Gaga, Maroon 5, AC/DC and Def Leppard.
Russell Hamilton, who manages Lange's Queenstown property, said the fire burnt through mostly scrub land, with some wilding tress affected.
"We're very lucky it didn't go further," Hamilton said. "There was quite a bit of wind and it is very dry. It made us very nervous."
Lange bought the property in 2011 and turned it into conservation land in 2014, when the Mahu Whenua QEII Trust covenants were put in place. They cover 53,000ha over most of the Motatapu, Mount Soho, Glencoe and Coronet Peak Stations.
It is the largest private covenant in New Zealand and is intended to protect and enhance the native high country land.
Hamilton said it was likely the affected land would regenerate quickly but the weekend's fire was a "wake up call".
"We all need to be pretty careful when it comes to these areas. When an area is under covenant you do get a build up of tinder and it's more of a risk that it would have otherwise been."
He said he was surprised to hear firefighters discovered a lone sheep wandering a ridge line above the fire. "It wouldn't have been ours. It probably got out from one of the freehold blocks near there."
Central Otago deputy principal rural fire officer Mark Mawhinney said a full investigation into the cause of the fire was yet to start but it appeared someone lit a pile of branches and bark at a property in the remote valley on Friday, and again on Saturday.
It was put out but reignited in dry conditions on Saturday afternoon, burning about 200ha, a woodshed and truck.
Five helicopters with monsoon buckets were used to control the fire, while Fire and Emergency New Zealand crews from Glenorchy, Arrowtown, Luggate, Queenstown and Tarras tackled the blaze from the ground.
The fire was extinguished on Sunday.
Mawhinney said he suspected the person who lit the fire thought it was out and left the area.
"[The person] wasn't on site but even if he was he mightn't have had time to do much. It's jumped, gotten into some of the vegetation and soared up the hill."
Source/remainder of the article