Rob Hands
Finding animals alive 'like winning the lotto'
A Lake Ōhau couple figured their beloved pets were dead after they had to leave them behind and flee the fire - so were shocked to find the animals alive after returning to the village. Video, Audio
Investigators piece together how Lake Ohau wildfires started
Firefighters helped Lake Ohau residents return to their village this afternoon to recover essential items. Karyn speaks with Principal Rural Fire Officer for South Canterbury, Rob Hands. Audio
Firefighters still battling to contain Lake Ohau fire
The battle to contain the massive fire around Lake Ohau is continuing, with firefighters up against strong winds overnight.
The fire, which destroyed about 40 homes in the village, is now more than… Audio
Mackenzie fire continues by burning underground fuels
It's almost a week since the blaze started near Lake Pukaki in the Mackenzie District and Fire and Emergency continue around the clock to bring it under control. Karyn catches up with Principal Rural… Audio
Hundreds of people waiting to return home after Port Hills fire
One hundred and fifty homes remain behind cordons in Christchurch because of the ongoing risk of fire. Selwyn Emergency Operations Centre Incident Controller Rob Hands has the latest. Audio
Firefighters are satisfied with their work so far - but the job is not done yet
"It's encouraging isn't it? You come out here and they're having a chat to you and they're still smiling". Guyon Espiner catches up with incident controller Rob Hands last night while some of the… Audio
Marlborough fire to burn for at least another two days
It's been an early start to what could be a long El Nino fire season in Marlborough Fire-fighters say it will take at least another day to bring a large fire under control in Marlborough which has… Audio
Fire controller says crews working flat out
We can now speak to the incident controller is Rob Hands from the National Fire Authority. Audio
Marlborough forest fire continues to burn
A huge forest fire in Marlborough has continued to burn throughout the night and extra fire crews have been brought in from around the South Island in a bid to bring it under control. Audio
Marlborough forest fire burns fiercely, toll climbs
The Waikakaho Valley forest fire in Marlborough is still burning fiercely more than 24 hours after nine helicopters and fire crews moved in to tackle it. Audio
Gale force winds wreak havoc in Canterbury, more to come
Gale force winds have cut power to more than a thousand households and businesses in the Canterbury region while strong wind warnings are in place for the lower North Island and the east of the South… Audio
Waimate fire burns fiercely
With a dozen blazes breaking out across Canterbury yesterday, the worst of the fires was still burning in Waimate overnight, and has already affected up to 178 hectares of both conservation and… Audio
South Canterbury fire threatens forest plantation
Hot and windy weather continues to buffet the South Island. There were eight separate brush fires in South Canterbury yesterday, one near Waimate is still burning out of control. Audio
