A massive fire is ripping through a protected wetland in New Zealand, threatening its delicate ecosystem and the rare species that live there \u2013 some found nowhere else on Earth. <\/p>\n
The blaze at the Waikato wetland on the country\u2019s North Island is 15 kilometers (nearly 10 miles) in perimeter and has burned more than 2,471 acres (1,000 hectares) since it began on Monday, authorities said, as they warned it could take days to bring under control. <\/p>\n
Experts have also warned of the potential damage to what is one of New Zealand\u2019s largest carbon sinks \u2013 environments, such as oceans and forests, that remove more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere than they contribute, and are critical to slowing global warming and other impacts of the climate crisis. <\/p>\n
About 50 firefighters are working alongside helicopters and airplanes at the site south of Auckland, the country\u2019s largest city, according to Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ). There is no immediate danger to residents and businesses in the area, authorities said. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a large fire and it could take some days to bring it under control properly,\u201d said Incident Controller Mark Tinworth in a news release on Wednesday. <\/p>\n
The presence of peat \u2013 the accumulation of dead and slowly decaying plant material common across bogs and wetland \u2013 had made the fire \u201cparticularly challenging,\u201d as it can burn underground and can be hard to find and extinguish, he added. <\/p>\n
The blaze poses a major risk to the wetland ecosystem, an important habitat that\u2019s found in few other places, experts say. The wetland is a patchwork of swamps, bogs, marshes and open water surrounding two rivers \u2013 designated as one of three nationally significant sites in the government\u2019s wetlands restoration program. <\/p>\n
Part of the Ramsar List, an international treaty that aims to protect important wetlands, it\u2019s also a breeding site for threatened bird species. <\/p>\n
The wetland is also home to various other rare fish and plants, he added, such as the endangered swamp helmet orchid \u2013 which isn\u2019t found anywhere else in the world. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s not yet clear where or how the fire started, and investigators are on the scene to determine its origin. <\/p>\n
But even before the blaze, the Waikato wetland, like many other unique habitats in New Zealand, was at risk due to environmental degradation and the climate crisis. <\/p>\n
It has been \u201cdramatically changed\u201d over the years due to human land use, increased flooding, and the introduction of non-native species, according to the Department of Conservation \u2013 damaging the ecosystem\u2019s health and its ability to perform crucial functions. <\/p>\n
The wetland is a type of raised peat bog \u2013 a \u201cvery rare habitat\u201d and \u201cone of the few remaining in the southern hemisphere,\u201d Jones, from the department, told RNZ. <\/p>\n
Carbon sinks are critical to slowing global warming and other impacts of the climate crisis; for instance, the Amazon rainforest, long known as the \u201clungs\u201d of the planet, holds the equivalent of 15 to 20 years of the entire world\u2019s global carbon stores. <\/p>\n
But when these carbon sinks come under threat, that stored carbon can be released back into the environment. The Amazon is already beginning to collapse and is now releasing more carbon than it absorbs, mainly because of forest fires and logging. <\/p>\n
As the fire burns it\u2019s too soon to assess the extent of its damage or impact on the ecosystem, Jones told RNZ. However, he added, \u201cthis fire will be releasing some of the stored carbon back into the environment.\u201d <\/p>\n
There are other challenges too \u2013 authorities warned members of the public not to fly drones near the fire on Wednesday after the sighting of one forced firefighters to temporarily halt operations, due to the risk of a mid-air collision. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a really beautiful part of the country with considerable environmental value, and we\u2019re doing our best to prevent it from being destroyed,\u201d FENZ\u2019s Tinworth said in a separate release on Tuesday. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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