Retardant new fire weapon

Kevin Ihaka watches as water and retardant, that would normally be used in a monsoon bucket attached to a helicopter, flows through on a test run. Photo / John Stone

Teams fighting intense scrub fires will be seeing red in Northland this summer.

For the first time in the district, helicopters will dump monsoon buckets filled with a red-coloured fire retardant ahead of fire fronts to prevent flames from spreading.

The retardant, mixed with water, is used for wildland fire control in forest, scrub and grass areas in America and Australia and has previously been used on fires in Canterbury.

Whangarei and Kaipara principal rural fire officer Kevin Ihaka said the season was starting to heat up and already there had been a major scrub fire at Mangawhai that got dangerously close to million-dollar beach houses.

"The weather had been pretty good at this stage but people are taking risks because they think there is no danger when burning fires. But a day with wind and a fire will quickly pick up."

Mr Ihaka said if houses or buildings were threatened, they could be sprayed with fire retardant to protect them.

"This product lets us deal with more intense fires," Mr Ihaka said.

Previously a liquid retardant has been used in Northland but was difficult to transport.

Forest Protection Services, Hancock Forestry and Skyworks Helicopters have combined to buy the retardant powder and supply the ground equipment needed and the helicopters in the air.

On Thursday all those who could be involved with the application of the new retardant were at Whangarei for a trial run. The powdered retardant is mixed with water and poured into a hopper which is then pumped into a portable dam. The aerially applied fire retardant would make a 10 metre wide break. The coating clings to vegetation and insulates it from the approaching inferno.

"We will try and use it in conjunction with natural breaks like along a ridge or roads," Mr Ihaka said.

The reddish colour serves as a visual aid for pilots and firefighters alike.

After a few days of exposure to direct sunlight, the colour fades or is washed away with rain.

Last fire season Northland councils dished out a number of bills worth thousands of dollars to land owners who were found to be at fault when lighting fires and were made to pay for the costs of extinguishing them.

Mr Ihaka said small landowners and farmers needed to know their responsibilities and consider rural fire insurance.

"If you start a fire you pay for it and the costs can be pretty big."