A helicopter drops a monsoon bucket full of water on to a paddock fire children ignited at the rear of the Te Ore Ore Marae in 2011. FILE PHOTO
The Fire Service is calling on marae to step up their game in the wake of a devastating marae fire in Waikato on Saturday.
The service's national Maori adviser Piki Thomas said remote locations, limited water supplies and lack of smoke alarms are what prevented the community from being able
to salvage the meeting house at Mokai, and are likely to be the cause of vulnerability to fire of other marae around the country.
"The fire service strongly recommends installing sprinklers to control the spread of fire and protect taonga."
Hard-wired smoke alarms and regularly practised evacuation plans are also recommended.
As a first step, marae leaders are encouraged to contact their Maori liaison officer on 0800 624 8452.
