Whether it's a fire to toast some marshmallows, a pizza oven, a rubbish fire or something different - before you light, you should check if is safe to do so, Fenz advises. Photo / Delphine Ducaruge / Unsplash
Whether it's a fire to toast some marshmallows, a pizza oven, a rubbish fire or something different - before you light, you should check if is safe to do so, Fenz advises. Photo / Delphine Ducaruge / Unsplash
Recent rain in Taranaki has not dampened down the fire risk across the district.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s Taranaki community risk manager Christine McGinty says vegetation continues to dry out due to the windy conditions being experienced.
While the region isn’t under a restricted fire season, where a permitis required to light any open-air fire, people should still be aware of the risk of windy conditions and apply caution, she says.
“We have particular concern for the southern areas of Taranaki.”
There are a range of precautions people can take if people must light a fire, says Christine.
“Do not light more than one fire at a time. Wait for it burn out and then dampen down the burn area. Make sure the fire is fully extinguished.”
Fire poles should be small, she says, and people should monitor old burn sites after the fire is out in case of reignition.
Before lighting a fire, whether for a burn-off, a rubbish fire or even a brazier or pizza oven, people should check www.checkitalright.nz first to confirm it is okay to light a fire in that location.
