Marlborough’s worst ever fire, Boxing Day 2000, burnt 6,000 hectares (almost 15,000 acres), for over three days, killed thousands of stock and threatened the wine town of Blenheim, as well as a number of vineyards and wineries. Disaster was avoided by the brave residents, of what is now known as Fire Road, who battled the blaze by using buckets and hand-held hoses and were eventually assisted by a fortunate wind shift.
The Fire Road vineyards f lourish in the same hot and dry climate that was the catalyst for such a mighty blaze.
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