National Park fire chief Marilla Swift reported that the four firefighters who first responded to a blaze in Tongariro could not have predicted the rapid devastation it would cause. She emphasized that a small fire quickly escalated, likening the scene to “Armageddon.” Swift, who was camping when the call came in about the fire on State Highway 47, noted that significant vegetation fires are rare for her brigade, making the situation particularly alarming.
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