Open fire season

An open fire season has been declared in the Whangarei and Kaipara districts, says Principal Rural Fire Officer Kevin Ihaka.

This means that residents can now light fires on the open air without a permit providing they comply with all Northland Regional Council rules for smoke discharge and take due care with the fire.

Residents are reminded that they will he held liable for the cost of putting out an escaped fire and for the damage it may cause. This can easily be hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Mr Ihaka advises that most fires escape when people underestimate the risk, particularly changing weather conditions. High winds are the leading cause of fires getting out of hand.

The restricted season has been unusually long this year due to prolonged dry spells and patchy sporadic rain. Mr Ihaka thanks the residents of Whangarei and
Kaipara for their cooperation and understanding during this period.

Despite the dry conditions we have had very few problems with compliance; people have been very understanding of the risk and have been very responsible with fire.

Anyone wanting advice should check the website havingafire.org.nz for tips and updates.

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