Please see below advice from Public Health re Hillside Road fire in Wairau on 24 April 2025 (as at 27 April, 1:06pm)

Kia ora koutou,
 
Following the fire event at Hillside Road, Wairau Valley on Thursday 24 April, we are writing to provide an update on the outcomes of recent site inspections and next steps.
 
The Ministry of Education engaged Tony Coleman (Emergency Response Co-ordinator) to conduct visual inspections of all high-risk school sites identified in the surrounding area.

We are pleased to advise that these inspections have now been completed, and the findings are summarised below:
 
Summary of Findings:
 
No visible debris, soot, or surface contamination was observed at any of the inspected school sites.
Strong winds during the fire and sustained heavy rainfall over the past few days have helped to prevent significant disbursement of airborne particulates.
Based on the site inspections and environmental conditions, there is no evidence to suggest that significant decontamination is required at any of the inspected schools.
 
Special Note for Wairau Valley Special School:
Given the school's immediate proximity to the Hillside Road fire site, we acknowledge that while no visible debris or surface contamination was identified during the site inspection, residual smoke odours are still present in some areas as of the time of inspection (Saturday 26/04/2025).
 
As a precaution, we recommend that windows and doors, particularly those facing Hillside Road or the fire site, remain closed if any odours persist until final environmental testing results are confirmed by Auckland Council and Fire and Emergency NZ.
If the school operates a mechanical ventilation system, we advise setting it to recirculate internal air rather than drawing in fresh external air where possible.
 
This measure is intended to minimise any potential exposure to lingering airborne particles.
Once environmental clearance is confirmed, normal natural ventilation (opening windows and doors) can resume to assist with dispersing any remaining odours.
 
At this stage, based on all available evidence, specialist decontamination is not considered necessary. However, if odours persist or if there are any health concerns among staff or students, please contact us immediately so that we can arrange further support, including air quality testing if required.
 
Current Risk Assessment:
The overall health and safety risk for all inspected schools is assessed as low.
No mandatory additional cleaning is required beyond standard operational practices and the general precautionary advice issued by Public Health.
We are continuing to monitor the situation closely and are awaiting final confirmation from Auckland Council’s environmental testing programme and Fire and Emergency NZ.
 
We will provide further updates if any new information arises.
 
If you have any questions or concerns, or if you observe any unusual material on your site, please do not hesitate to contact us.
 
Thank you for your continued support and cooperation.
 
Ngā mihi nui,
 
 
Robert McAllister | Senior Asset Manager | Asset Management | Northern Region
School Property group
Auckland Mt Eden Office
education.govt.nz

An Important Message from the Principal

(as at 11:33am, 27 April, Sunday)
 

Kia Ora e te whānau,

I was contacted by the Ministry yesterday regarding the safety of our base school and the need to be washed down before students could attend on Monday. We sprang into action to organise it before Monday, however I then received the following message;

“Hi Natalie, we have Tony our out of hours response person attending all effected schools for which you are one to undertake visual assessments. Due to the nature of the contamination still to be fully confirmed we need to understand if any clean up is required or if it is to what level as this will impact our approach. I will keep you posted with next steps. What is the best email to get you on for our communication and please delay any arranged clean up until we can better understand the level and type of contamination present. Thanks” 

I sent a message to the sender last night to enquire regarding “next steps.” It is now 11:30am and I have not heard anything. I am hoping to have answers shortly.

I will keep you informed as soon as I have any updates. 

Kindest regards,

Natalie Todd, Principal