Waatea team

Macie Kuki | Fire subsides in Whangamarino wetlands near Mercer

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Flames are beginning to die down in the northern Whangamarino Wetlands, south of Mercer.

The flames are dying down in the northern Whangamarino wetlands, south of Mercer.

The smoldering fire began on Monday and has burned up to 1,000 hectares over a 15-kilometer area.

The wetlands are a significant historical landmark for Waikato and relate to the Crown's invasion of the region in 1863.

Aukaha News regional reporter Macie Kuki, who is in Meremere, says the fire department consists of 56 firefighters, seven helicopters and two aircraft battling the fire.

“They haven't said yet whether the fire has spread to the Whare, the nearby Whare and the Papakāinga around here, but there's a lot of land burned and you can see that,” Kuki said.