A floating boom was put in place around the Dong Won 701 to contain any possible spillage from the vessel.

It is hoped a fire burning on a Korean fishing vessel docked at the Port of Timaru has finally burnt out after almost a week, but crews won't know for sure until they re-enter the boat tomorrow.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) South Island assistant area commander Rodger Smith said crews had been working through the weekend closely monitoring the temperature of the ship as they tried to finally bring the fires under control.

"We're continuing to apply water jets to the outside parts of the vessel.

JOHN BISSET/STUFF Fire crews will re-enter the Dong Won 701 on Monday to check if the fires have burnt out.

"Logistically these sorts of fires are always challenging but we've got firefighters from Dunedin, Invercargill, Wellington, as well as locals to assist," Smith said.

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The 70-metre Dong Won 701 Korean fishing vessel caught fire about 9.30pm on Monday.

Since then emergency services crews and authorities have been working to bring the fire under control and minimise its impact on the harbour and operations at the port.

Smith said the plan now was for fire crews to re-enter the boat, which was sealed on Friday in an effort to contain the fires, on Monday.

"We can't guarantee that all the fires are out but we're pretty confident that they are," he said.

Smith said once the fire was out, Fenz would cease its involvement with the vessel.​​

The incident is being investigated by the Transport Accident Investigation Commission.</s>“If you want to experience a starry night in New Zealand even when it’s cloudy, there’s an option. When foul weather hides the Southern Cross and the Magellanic Clouds of the southern skies, you can look for glowworms,” Karen London writes in an article for the Arizona Daily Sun.

“New Zealand glowworms are bioluminescent flies. Their bluish-green light attracts prey – various small invertebrates including caddisflies, moths, midges, mosquitoes, mayflies, small millipedes and small snails. The light is produced by a chemical reaction involving luciferin (a light-emitting compound), luciferase (an enzyme that acts on luciferin), ATP (the energy molecule) and oxygen.

“Glowworms spin a web to attach themselves to any ceiling-like surface in their natural habitat. Each individual produces dozens of strands of thread that hang down and are covered in mucous droplets. These threads descending from the glowworms’ webs are so sticky that the small animals drawn in by the light become stuck in them, which is why the threads are called ‘snares’. Any wind can easily snarl these strands, rendering them useless, so glowworms must be out of the wind, in places such as caves or deep in the rainforest.

“The name glowworm has its benefits and its downsides. One problem with the name is that it makes it easy to confuse them with other bioluminescent insects, even though they are very different. Fireflies, despite their name, are actually beetles, as are click beetles and glowworm beetles, whereas the glowworms of New Zealand are flies. On the bright side (yes, I’m aware of the pun), the name sounds quite lovely, especially when compared to the more official term of ‘fungus gnat.’

“The most famous nocturnal animal in New Zealand is the iconic flightless bird called the kiwi, but the glowworms are pretty cool, too.”
Fire and Emergency New Zealand announce they hope the fire aboard Korean ship FV Dong Won 701 is extinguished seven days after catching light in the Port of Timaru, New Zealand. Firefighters say they plan to board the vessel tomorrow to confirm.