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The cost to battle the fires that ravaged through the Tasman district in February could reach $2 million – leaving insurers on the hook for additional damage caused to private property.
A fire that broke out in Pigeon Valley on February 05 spread to over 2,300 hectares, damaging land and infrastructure. A smaller second fire also broke out near the summit of Moutere Hill on February 27.
Richard Kirby, recovery manager at the Ministry of Civil Defence, told Stuff.co.nz that the estimated bill for fighting the fires could be “$1.8 million to $2 million all up.”
To get a clearer estimate of the cost, the recovery team is currently analysing initial assessments made by urban search and rescue teams and aerial and satellite photography of the area collated by Fire and Emergency New Zealand.
While Kirby told Stuff that the recovery team was working with Government agencies to source funding for remediation, the funding was for expenses related solely to firefighting efforts – particularly the installation of fire breaks. “It is not funding to cover anything burnt by the fire,” said Kirby.
Landowners seeking compensation for damage to their property should initially go through their insurer. If the compensation amount is insufficient, an alternative could be getting compensation through the Mayoral Disaster Relief Fund – a fund put up to help with costs not covered by insurers.
