2024 Port Hills Fire
The 2024 Port Hills fire was a wildfire in Christchurch, New Zealand. The fire started at around 2:15 pm NZDT on 14 February 2024 on Worsleys Road. It is close to the location of one of the fires that started on 13 February 2017 which developed into the 2017 Port Hills fires. At the height of firefighting efforts on 16 February, the fire had spread over 650 hectares and was fought by over 100 firefighters, 15 helicopters, two fixed-wing planes, and 28 fire engines. 110 properties were evacuated in total. Management of the fire ground continued for around 3 weeks, though it was largely put out within a few days. After an investigation, Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) and the New Zealand Police determined that the cause of the fire was unknown. Events Fire and Emergency New Zealand said that dry weather had led to "tinder conditions". Dozens of properties were evacuated, including the nearby Princess Margaret Hospital, Christchurch, Princess Margaret Hospital. On 14 Fe ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Port Hills
The Port Hills () are a range of hills in Canterbury Region of New Zealand, so named because they lie between the city of Christchurch and its port at Lyttelton, New Zealand, Lyttelton. They are an eroded remnant of the Banks Peninsula Volcano, Lyttelton volcano, which erupted millions of years ago. The hills start at Godley Head, run approximately east–west along the northern side of Lyttelton Harbour, and continue running to the south, dividing the city from the harbour. The range terminates near Gebbies Pass above the head of the harbour. The range includes a number of summits between 300 and 500 metres above sea level. The range is of significant geological, environmental and scenic importance. History The volcano is one of two from which Banks Peninsula was originally formed 12 million years ago. The area was first populated by Māori people, Māori during the 14th century. During early European settlement some 500 years later the Port Hills presented a challenging ba ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Fire Appliance
A firefighting apparatus (North American English) or firefighting appliance (UK English) describes any vehicle that has been customized for use during firefighting operations. These vehicles are highly customized depending on their needs and the duty they will be performing. These duties can include firefighting, technical rescue, and emergency medical services. History An early device used to squirt water onto a fire is a ''squirt'' or ''fire syringe''. Hand squirts and hand pumps are noted before Ctesibius of Alexandria invented the first fire pump circa the 2nd century B.C., and an example of a force-pump possibly used for a fire-engine is mentioned by Heron of Alexandria. The fire pump was reinvented in Europe during the 16th century, reportedly used in Augsburg in 1518 and Nuremberg in 1657. A book of 1655 inventions mentions a steam engine (called a ''fire engine'') pump used to "raise a column of water 40 feet []", but there was no mention of whether it was portab ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Fires In New Zealand
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion reaction when the fuel reaches its ignition point temperature. Flames from hydrocarbon fuels consist primarily of carbon dioxide, water vapor, oxygen, and nitrogen. If hot enough, the gases may become ionized to produce plasma. The color and intensity of the flame depend on the type of fuel and composition of the surrounding gases. Fire, in its most common form, has the potential to result in conflagration, which can lead to permanent physical damage. It directly impacts land-based ecological systems worldwide. The positive effects of fire include stimulating plant growth and maintaining ecological balance. Its negative effects include hazards to life and property, atmospheric pollution, and water contamination. When fire removes protective vegetation, heavy r ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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March 2024 In New Zealand
March is the third month of the year in both the Julian and Gregorian calendars. Its length is 31 days. In the Northern Hemisphere, the meteorological beginning of spring occurs on the first day of March. The March equinox on the 20 or 21 marks the astronomical beginning of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and the beginning of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, where September is the seasonal equivalent of the Northern Hemisphere's March. History The name of March comes from '' Martius'', the first month of the earliest Roman calendar. It was named after Mars, the Roman god of war, and an ancestor of the Roman people through his sons Romulus and Remus. His month ''Martius'' was the beginning of the season for warfare, and the festivals held in his honor during the month were mirrored by others in October, when the season for these activities came to a close. ''Martius'' remained the first month of the Roman calendar year perhaps as late as 153 BC, and several religious ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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February 2024 In New Zealand
February is the second month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars. The month has 28 days in common years and 29 in leap years, with the 29th day being called the ''leap day''. February is the third and last month of meteorological winter in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, February is the third and last month of meteorological summer, being the seasonal equivalent of August in the Northern Hemisphere. Pronunciation "February" can be pronounced in several different ways. The beginning of the word is commonly pronounced either as or ; many people drop the first "r", replacing it with , as if it were spelled "Febuary". This comes about by analogy with "January" (), as well as by a dissimilation effect whereby having two "r"s close to each other causes one to change. The ending of the word is pronounced in the US and in the UK. History The Roman month was named after the Latin term , which means "purification", via the purificatio ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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2020s Fires In Oceania
S, or s, is the nineteenth letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and other latin alphabets worldwide. Its name in English is ''ess'' (pronounced ), plural ''esses''. History Northwest Semitic šîn represented a voiceless postalveolar fricative (as in 'ip'). It originated most likely as a pictogram of a tooth () and represented the phoneme via the acrophonic principle. Ancient Greek did not have a "sh" phoneme, so the derived Greek letter Sigma () came to represent the voiceless alveolar sibilant . While the letter shape Σ continues Phoenician ''šîn'', its name ''sigma'' is taken from the letter ''Samekh'', while the shape and position of ''samekh'' but name of ''šîn'' is continued in the '' xi''. Within Greek, the name of ''sigma'' was influenced by its association with the Greek word (earlier ), "to hiss". The original name of the letter "Sigma" may have been ''san'', but due to the earl ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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2024 Disasters In New Zealand
4 (four) is a number, numeral and digit. It is the natural number following 3 and preceding 5. It is a square number, the smallest semiprime and composite number, and is considered unlucky in many East Asian cultures. Evolution of the Hindu-Arabic digit Brahmic numerals represented 1, 2, and 3 with as many lines. 4 was simplified by joining its four lines into a cross that looks like the modern plus sign. The Shunga would add a horizontal line on top of the digit, and the Kshatrapa and Pallava evolved the digit to a point where the speed of writing was a secondary concern. The Arabs' 4 still had the early concept of the cross, but for the sake of efficiency, was made in one stroke by connecting the "western" end to the "northern" end; the "eastern" end was finished off with a curve. The Europeans dropped the finishing curve and gradually made the digit less cursive, ending up with a digit very close to the original Brahmin cross. While the shape of the character for ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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2024 Wildfires
Wildfires in 2024 include: Europe * 2024 Attica wildfires * 2024 Madeira wildfires * 2024 Portugal wildfires West Asia * 2024 Turkey wildfires * 2024 Israel-Lebanon wildfires Southern hemisphere * 2024 South American wildfires ** 2024 Brazil wildfires ** 2024 Chile wildfires ** 2024 Colombia wildfires ** 2024 Peru wildfires *2024 Port Hills fire, New Zealand Northern hemisphere * Wildfires in the United States during 2024 ** 2024 Arizona wildfires ** 2024 California wildfires ** 2024 Colorado wildfires ** 2024 Florida wildfires ** 2024 Idaho wildfires ** 2024 New Mexico wildfires ** 2024 Northeastern United States wildfires ** 2024 Oregon wildfires ** 2024 Texas wildfires *** Smokehouse Creek Fire, the largest in Texas history ** 2024 Virginia wildfires ** 2024 Washington wildfires * 2024 Canada wildfires * 2024 Russian wildfires 2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Todd McClay
Todd Michael McClay (born 22 November 1968) is a New Zealand politician and former ambassador. He is the Member of Parliament for Rotorua. He was previously an ambassador for the Cook Islands and Niue to the European Union. Early life McClay was born in Rotorua in 1968. The son of former National MP Roger McClay, he was educated at Tauhara College in Taupō, Wesley College in Auckland and Wellington Polytechnic in Wellington. He gained a bachelor's degree in Politics. European Union diplomatic career McClay worked in the European Parliament as Head of Staff to Lord Plumb, President of the European Parliament and Leader of the British Conservatives in the European Parliament. He has also been active in European government affairs and lobbying and was a founder and CEO of a company, Political Relationship Management. McClay has been active in Pacific Islands, European and New Zealand diplomacy and politics since 1992, and was the Cook Islands' first accredited diplomat out ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Sam Broughton
The mayor of Selwyn officiates over the Selwyn District Council. The mayor is directly elected using a First-past-the-post voting, first-past-the-post electoral system. The immediate past mayor, Kelvin Coe (mayor), Kelvin Coe, did not stand for re-election in the 2016 New Zealand local elections. The district's fifth mayor, Sam Broughton, was elected on 8 October 2016 in the 2016 New Zealand local elections. The longest-serving mayor was Michael McEvedy, serving for twelve years. History Selwyn District was established as part of the 1989 local government reforms. It was formed from Ellesmere County, Malvern County, and part of Paparua County. The first mayor, Ann Hurford, was from an old Ellesmere farming family. The second mayor, Bill Woods, also held the mayoralty for one term (1992–1995). Woods is a perennial candidate and once stated he was "addicted" to elections; he was one of five candidates in the 2016 mayoral election. Michael McEvedy was mayor for four terms from 19 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Selwyn District Council
Selwyn District Council is the territorial authority for the Selwyn District of New Zealand New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla .... The council was formed in 1989. A Selwyn County Council previously operated in the area between 1876 and 1910. The council is led by the mayor of Selwyn, who is currently . There are also ten ward councillors. Composition Councillors are elected once every three years, using the first-past-the post system. The last election to take place was in October 2022. Councillors * Mayor: * Ellesmere Ward (2): Shane Ngapou O Te Hahi Epiha, Elizabeth Mundt * Malvern Ward (2): Lydia Gliddon, Bob Mugford * Rolleston Ward (3): Phil Dean, Sophie McInnes, Nicole Reid * Springs Ward (3): Debra Hasson, Malcolm Lyall, Grant Miller Community boards ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |