Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Local Govt | National News Video | Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Search

 

Ruapehu EMO lends experience to Nelson fire response

Ruapehu EMO lends experience to Nelson fire response

Ruapehu Emergency Management Officer Nick Watson has returned from two weeks helping out with the Nelson rural fire response.

Council Chief Executive Clive Manley said that at times such as this it is literally “all hands to the pump” and Ruapehu was happy to assist in the best way we could which was to make Nick and his specialist skills available.

“Prior to Fire Emergency NZ (FENZ) taking over rural fire management and response it was the responsibility of local councils and so people like Nick who have a depth of knowledge and frontline experience in both rural fire and civil defence and emergency management have an invaluable skillset for situations such as this,” he said.

Mr Watson said that his initial role was in assisting within the Emergency Operating Centre (EOC) where the response to the fire is planned and coordinated and as a Liaison Officer between FENZ and Civil Defence.

“After being on the ground for a few days I was asked by the Incident Controller to work as a Divisional Commander out in the field where I had responsibility for three sectors in the Redwood Valley.

In this role I was working on the fire front coordinating the response of fire crews and heavy machinery to put out hot spots.

With the Nelson area being as dry as it is the fire can continue to burn and smoulder underground feeding off tree roots which presents a real difficulty in being able to locate these areas and put them out.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

To help us we used special hand held and drone deployed thermal imaging equipment and had crews working through the night which made it easier to identify the hot spots.

The danger of the fire flaring up again was clearly demonstrated this week when residents from the Redwood Valley and along the Moutere Highway needed to be re-evacuated from their homes.

Unfortunately until the region gets a solid period of sustained rain fall local residents will need to be prepared for possible further disruption including the need to evacuate again at short notice.”

Mr Watson added that fire bans and restrictions are in place throughout the country and Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ) is pleading with Kiwis to be vigilant during the extreme conditions.

“People should also be aware that all Department of Conservation (DoC) land which makes up a large part of Ruapehu has a permanent fire restriction in place.

Anyone lighting a fire within 1km of DoC land needs to contact the DoC area office for a permit while outside of these areas people should first check the FENZ websitewww.checkitsalright.nz


ends

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.