Being fire savvy a must for high-risk season

Hawke's Bay residents need to be fire savvy this summer.

Hawke's Bay residents need to raise their fire savviness ahead of the hot dry summer, the Napier fire service says.

Napier Station Officer Warrick Le Quesne said people had become a bit more aware of the risks but preventable vegetation fires were still a major issue.

"We get a lot of call-outs to vegetation and grass fires in the summer," he said. "In rural areas, you can only burn off stuff that is produced on your property - you can't just burn off any rubbish - but a lot of people don't know that. [The fire service] are a first-response service, not an enforcement agency."

People who tried to get away with not having permits or didn't realise they needed them caused the most problems, he said.

"If you're not prepared and don't know what you're doing, it only takes a small wind change for a fire to get out of control."

Restricted fire seasons began in Napier on November 26, and Hastings on November 24, meaning people need a council permit before lighting a fire.

In Napier, a blanket ban also existed against open fires, excluding cooking fires, in urban areas. Breaking the Napier city fire bylaw could bring a fine of up to $20,000.

Unattended cooking is the main cause of house fires. However, call-outs to kitchen-started fires with extensive damage are less common. Smoke alarms and planned and practised escape routes are good, basic ways to be fire-smart, Mr Le Quesne said.

"I think people are getting the message, particularly the younger generation."

Fire service figures show more than 1500 residential fires were attended in the Bay in the past five financial years. Structure fires were the main cause of call-outs, followed by "miscellaneous" fires and vegetation fires. Miscellaneous fires were typically outside fires that got out of control, such as barbecues, bonfires, camp fires, gas cookers and rubbish fires.

Nationally, more than 16,000 residential fires were attended in the past five years.

Weather forecasters predict high fire-risk conditions such as dry winds this summer, especially in eastern region.

Residents can get home-safety checks from the fire service.

-To book a home fire-safety check, phone 0800 693 473.