Fire restrictions tipped next week

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A RESTRICTED fire season will probably be introduced across the district some time next week as the scrub fire risk continues to climb, says principal rural fire officer Ray Dever. Recent rain has done very little to reduce the fire risk.

“We are holding our own at this point in time when it comes to the fire risk but we could have done with more rain out of the recent wet weather system,” Mr Dever said.

“Some places got 5 to 6mm but it was pretty patchy. We didn’t get a lot.”

Gisborne has received less than 10 millimetres of rain so far this month.

“The forest fire index put out by the national Rural Fire Authority is still quite low for us at low to moderate. But the scrub fire index is starting to move up and it is now in the high zone,” Mr Dever said.

The grass fire index is also in the low to moderate range.

“The fine fuel ignition rate for grass is currently 75-80 percent, which means it will take a fair bit of help to get fire going in grass right now.

“However, without significant rain we will probably be looking to introduce a restricted fire season across the district some time next week.”

That would mean permits would be required for all fires in the open in rural areas. Permits are permanently required for fires in the open in Gisborne city and in all rural urban communities.