Fire crews ask for common sense over burnoffs

Ruakaka station officers Colin Turner, left, and Jeff D'Ath.

Controlled burnoffs getting out of hand are of concern to fire crews in Northland who have attended more than a dozen scrub fires since Friday.

Ruakaka firefighters were called to a burnoff on Crow Rd, Mata about 8.30pm on Saturday.

Ruakaka Fire Brigade station officer Jeff D'Ath said a man rang him up to seek permission to light a little bonfire which was given. Instead, scrub bulldozed into a pile in the middle of the paddock was set alight, setting a monstrous glow in the dark.

"It was quite safe but ... people don't know what's happening at night and the fire will look bigger," he said.

He urged those wishing to do controlled burning to light fires during the day.

At nearby Waipu, another controlled burnoff during lunch hour yesterday threatened a loader left off a tractor on the ground.

Waipu fire chief Trevor Vaile said two appliances were called to Lochalsh Dr about 1.25pm after the "controlled" burning got out of control.

There were scrub fire callouts on the weekend in Kaikohe, Kerikeri, Paihia, Mangonui, Mangawhai, Wellsford, Dargaville, Kamo and Whangarei.