Kauri sculptor John Freeman says he is lucky the fire that engulfed his Little Oneroa property on Sunday didn’t spread to nearby Goodwin Reserve.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of kauri art was destroyed in the blaze at Goodwin Avenue, pieces not covered by insurance.
Five fire trucks were called out after an explosion was heard on the property around 1pm on Sunday. The volunteer fire brigade stayed at the scene until 4.30pm, returning again early Monday morning to douse the still-smouldering scene.
Tinder-dry conditions on the island have created an extreme fire risk, with drought now as severe as in early 2013. Had there been wind at the time, fire fighters said it could have been much worse.
Full story in this week’s Gulf News… Out Now!!!
