High winds push up Bay's summer fire risk

Dry, windy weather has meant the risk of fire has risen.

Dry, windy weather has seen the fire risk creep into the high range.

Western Bay Moana Rural Fire Authority principal rural fire officer Barry Low said firefighters had received few callouts this summer, although fire risk conditions were getting higher.

"People are acting responsibly. I'm very pleased with how it's going," he said. "It's been magic."

Conditions were manageable but the wind was "a major worry", Mr Low said.

The annual restricted fire season is under way, which means a permit is required for rural fires between October 1 and April 30, but Mr Barry did not expect it would be necessary to impose a total fire ban in the near future.

"The weather pattern's been such that we've had rain to dampen things down, then sun for a couple of days, then rain." A total fire ban was imposed at the end of January last year.

Niwa senior climate scientist Petra Chappell said Tauranga's rainfall was lower than usual but not as low as last year.

Between January 1 and 15 only 14mm of rain fell 18 per cent of the monthly average of 78mm.

This year's January rainfall was already more than triple last year's monthly total of 4mm, which was the city's third equal lowest rainfall since records began 115 years ago and the second driest January. By January 15 last year, only 1.6mm had fallen.

Federated Farmers Bay of Plenty provincial president Rick Powdrell said conditions so far had been good for farmers.

The Western Bay District Council is reminding people to conserve water to ensure restrictions do not have to be imposed.

Tauranga City Council said there was no concern about the city's water levels.

On Friday, firefighters battled four blazes over five hours to save a Whakamarama house from flames.

Two sheds and two vehicles on the Wainui South Rd property were destroyed in the fire, which is thought to have been caused by high winds and sparks from a power line.