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After a wet holiday period for many Rodney residents, particularly in Warkworth, summer seems to have finally arrived.
While this will be good news for many, Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s (FENZ) deputy chief executive prevention Nick Pyatt warns it also poses an increased fire risk.
“If you’re still writing your New Year’s resolutions, consider adding ‘be fire safe this summer’ to that list.
“In these conditions, all it takes is one spark or ember to start a wildfire that will get out of control quickly and be very difficult for our crews to control.”
He adds that 97 per cent of wildfires in Aotearoa New Zealand are caused by people.
“We can’t control the fire risk, but we can control our actions.”
When fire danger conditions are elevated, FENZ urges people to take extra care and consider postponing activities involving an outdoor fire or spark/heat generating such as using power tools and mowing the lawn.
People are also asked to avoid lighting fires in windy conditions or high temperatures.
To see if there are any restrictions on lighting open-air fires in your area and for safety advice visit www.checkitsalright.nz
You can also check the fire permit site www.firepermit.nz
