Fire leaves cliff poised to collapse on to beach

A fire at a popular Auckland beach has caused a dangerous 50-metre clifftop landslip that could fall onto the shore below at any moment.

The scrub fire on a popular track at Long Bay Regional Park burned overnight from 7pm on January 2 until mid-morning the next day.

A helicopter using a monsoon bucket with seawater was used for around two hours on

January 3 to help extinguish the blaze, which was between Granny’s Bay and Vaughans Stream.

‘‘This is what has caused this slip,’’ said Auckland Council’s northern principal ranger Jason

Maguiness.

The large volume of water used to douse the blaze had resulted in a fragile, 30-50 metrelong, 2m-deep slip which ‘‘will most likely come down in the next six to 12 months’’.

A monsoon bucket can hold up to 1000 litres and dumping its contents takes just 1.5 seconds.

The cliff is expected to ‘‘shed debris’’ overtime and will continue to move until it falls.

‘‘It will be more than just a couple of big rocks that we usually get,’’ he said, as the cliff also includes soil and debris of remaining trees from the fire.

‘‘[A] significant amount will fall.’’

Maguiness said the team expected the affected land could fall in the event of heavy rain, but when it could come down was ‘‘unpredictable’’.

The team at Long Bay Regional Park is working to determine what to do next, including manual removal of the parts at risk of falling.

The area at the top of the cliff has been fenced off, but Maguiness said the team were unable to cordon off the coastline below due to the risk of high tides washing any fencing away.

He urged those using the clifftop walk to avoid walking behind the tape and to stay away from the cliff edge.

Beachgoers should avoid the shoreline below the slip, and not stop and look at the cliff if walking past.

He said the fire at the park was ‘‘unusual’’, adding he had never seen a ‘‘fire like that on a coast’’.

Accessing the area on the night of the blaze had been difficult.

The cause of the fire is unknown.

‘It will be more than just a couple of big rocks that we usually get. A significant amount will fall.’ NORTHERN PRINCIPAL RANGER JASON MAGUINESS