Fire restrictions closer by the day

Waihirere Domain fire. File picture

PRINCIPAL rural fire officer Ray Dever is “comfortable” with the rural fire risk in the region at this stage but he can see a need for rural fire restrictions before Christmas.

There were predictions several months ago that the onset of El Nino on the Gisborne-East Coast could mean fire restrictions some time next month.

“It’s definitely heading that way,” said Mr Dever. “The district has dried out a lot in the past week. The fire risk remains quite low across the region but if it stays like this for another couple of weeks we will need to consider restrictions.”

It was certainly an El Nino weather pattern, he said.

“The big westerlies we’ve seen coming through this week are linked to that. The problems with fires currently burning in the South Island illustrate the impact that comes with that weather system,” Mr Dever said.

“We are still expecting that weather pattern to have a significant impact on us between now and the end of March, early April.”

Rural Fire had spent the winter and spring training for it and were ready to go, he said. Mr Dever asked the public to take care with anything that could start a fire in the open.

“If they are burning off they need to take extra care. Even things like discarding cigarettes out the car window needs to be avoided.

“The fire in Waihirere Domain in October showed just how quickly fires can spread in the open in the right conditions.”

The inquiry into the cause of that fire ended with no result, he said.

“It was definitely lit by people but our investigation did not identify who they were.”

Permits are not currently required for fires in the open in rural areas, except within one kilometre of a forest, and fires are not allowed on the beaches.

“But people must remember that permits are required for any fires in the open in the city and in all rural urban areas at any time."