Wednesday 17 December 2014

Council bans fires in city

The Council is banning the lighting of fires in urban Christchurch from Sunday 21 December 2014.

A restricted fire season will also be in place in rural parts of the city meaning people who want to light outdoor fires will need a permit.

“While our summer to date has seen regular amounts of rain interspersed with occasional warmer days, the trend is definitely towards conditions becoming drier,” says Murray Sinclair, Manager Civil Defence and Emergency Management.

“There is still a lot of debris lying about from the wind storms we have had over the past year or so and it will take only a few hot windy days for it to dry out, adding to the fire risk when grass browns off as seed heads develop.

“We know this time of year is when people spend a lot of time outdoors. We simply ask that everyone takes heed of the fire restrictions as this will help ensure the city is a safe, enjoyable place to spend time over summer,” Mr Sinclair says.

Applications for a rural fire permit are available from the Christchurch City Council. There are exceptions for barbecues in enclosed containers, pizza ovens and hangi as long as the property is serviced by a domestic water supply.

It is important to check with both Christchurch City Council and Environment Canterbury prior to burning outdoors.

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