'Mother nature does not care if you are running late': Firefighters abused after road closure

The Sumner fire brigade is appealing to the public to have patience after its volunteers copped abuse from motorists angry about being asked to take a 15-20 minute detour due to a rockfall.

A section of Main Rd in Christchurch was closed after a rockfall in Clifton near Shag Rock about 9.45am on Wednesday.

The Sumner Volunteer Fire Brigade said some of its volunteers were "subjected to abuse from drivers" when they were asked to detour over Evans Pass.

"It saddens us to have to write a post like this, but sometimes these things need to be said," a brigade spokesperson wrote on social media.

"Earlier today, we were notified of an active rockfall event on Main Road, Sumner.

"Rocks and water were falling from the cliff adjacent to the road, and a section of the protective wire netting—our first line of defence for road users - had been dislodged.

"A decision was quickly made to close both the road and footpath to protect the public, pending assessment by specialist geotechnical consultants on the stability of the hillside.

"Given recent events in the Tauranga region, we had hoped for a degree of understanding and patience from the wider public.

"Unfortunately, this was not always the case. Our volunteers were subjected to abuse from drivers being asked to take the 15–20 minute detour over Evans Pass, and we also encountered cyclists moving barriers to access the footpath - even after being advised that both the road and footpath were closed.

"Mother nature does not care if you are running late.

"When a road is closed, it is done so for the safety of all road users, pedestrians, and emergency service personnel.

"To those who were understanding and cooperative - thank you. To those who were not, please do better next time."

-Allied Media