Fire risk extreme all over region

A109 Light Utility Helicopter flight with mayor Gisborne City from the air in November 2023.

THE fire risk across the whole of Tairawhiti has now reached “extreme” levels and principal rural fire officer Ray Dever said at certain times of the day it has become a real worry.

The ongoing dry weather and warm to hot temperatures have ramped up the fire risk in recent weeks.

A Prohibited Fire Season, a total fire ban, has been in place across the region since last month.

“The fire risk and fire danger has definitely been a concern at certain times of the day, but it's nothing we haven't seen before,” Mr Dever said.

“We're coping quite well so far and the public have been extremely co-operative with fire in the rural areas.

“We'd like to thank the rural communities for the way they have behaved,” he said.

“People are well aware out there in the rural areas just how dry things are.”

Mr Dever said the little bit of rain that fell in the northern sector of the region earlier this week, from Ruatoria to the East Cape, had not been enough to change anything up there.

“The fire risk remains extreme everywhere, and that's for the forests, grass and scrub.”

Previously the risk had been extreme in the scrub component of the Fire Weather Index, and moderate to very high for the forests and the grass.

“But that's now changed,” Mr Dever said.

“The risk does vary quite a lot during the day. In the afternoon it will go to extreme levels and by 8 o'clock at night it eases back.

“The temperature comes back as night falls and the relative humidity goes back up.

“It's a bit like leaving your washing on the line overnight. It gets a bit damp, well, so does the vegetation.”