Wairarapa Coast to begin fire ban on Monday

The Wairarapa Coast will move into a fire ban from Monday morning. Photo / File

The Wairarapa Coast will move into a fire ban from tomorrow due to a very high danger.

The shift to a prohibited fire season starts from 8am until further notice, revoking all fire permits and banning open air fires.

Community risk manager Philip Soal said hot, dry and windy conditions had dried out grass and vegetation, and those conditions were expected to continue.

“The Wairarapa coast is predominantly pasture grasses, coastal dune grasses, scrub and young pine which are all prone to burning easily once dry.

“We expect vegetation to dry out further as the hot, windy conditions continue.”

People should take extra care and not to do any activities that could pose a fire risk including mowing, welding and driving through long grass, he said.

Residents could also make their properties easier to defend by clearing flammable material from 10m around buildings, moving firewood stacked against houses, cleaning gutters, trimming trees and bushes and removing the trimmings, and keeping their grass short with a nylon-line trimmer.

Crews have already been fighting fires in other parts of the motu today and one in Porirua earlier this weekend.

- RNZ