The farmer, whose land was torn apart by fire ditches to help stop the fire in the Pigeon Valley, is anxiously awaiting whether the state will fully reimburse bills worth more than $ 100,000.

Pauline Marshall Dairy Farm suffered from barriers and water channels on pastures constructed by firefighters to create emergency barriers against spreading fire during a fire. Pauline's daughter, Sue Marshall, said she had applied to the Tasman Disaster Relief Fund and provided a quote to pay off.

Damage to the land is not covered by insurance. About 10% of the land, or about 15 hectares, was excavated to create bursts of fire.

The family is grateful to the firefighters for the job of saving the houses, but they faced the daunting task of rebuilding the farm and uncertainty about who would pay for it.

“In the end, it all comes down to whether the council is going to completely restore everything? And that remains to be seen. We look forward to a decision soon, ”the Marshall family says.