Otago District has moved to an open fire season today
(Monday 17 May) and Fire and Emergency is reminding the
public that they must still take all precautions before
lighting any fires in the open.
Principal Rural Fire
Officer Mark Mawhinney says recent rain and lower
temperatures have enabled Otago to shift from a restricted
fire season to an open season, which means that permits are
not required for open fires in most cases.
"While we
have relaxed the restrictions, anyone wanting to burn still
needs to plan ahead, checking weather and wind forecasts,
and take necessary precautions," Mark says.
"Unplanned
burns tie up our volunteer fire response resources, take our
volunteers out of their normal jobs and potentially delay
response times to other urgent incidents. They can also
cause substantial losses to other properties."
Fire
and Emergency’s website
provides advice on how to reduce the risk when lighting all
kinds of fires in the open. To check on conditions relating
to your property go to www.checkitsalright.nz.
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