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Fire ban temporarily lifted

Friday 23 December 2011, 1:35PM

By Far North District Council

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Restricted Fire Season 2011 Map
Restricted Fire Season 2011 Map Credit: Far North District Council

A fire ban on the Aupouri and Karikari Peninsulas has been temporarily lifted as a result of recent rain.

The Northern Rural Fire Authority has downgraded a prohibited fire season in Zone One, where there is normally a year-round ban on lighting fires, to a restricted fire season.

The new fire season status, which takes effect from midday tomorrow (December 23), means people can light fires in the open as long as they obtain a permit first.

A restricted fire season remains in place in Zone Two (the southern area of the district) until further notice.

Far North Principal Rural Fire Officer Myles Taylor says the fire danger in Zone One has reduced significantly thanks to wetter and less windy weather.

“Things will still burn, but that rapid rate of spread has really been halted.”

The authority is able to be less restrictive during the Christmas-New Year holiday period for hangi fires barbeques and braziers.

“We wouldn’t expect people to rush out and do huge land burn-offs, but they can certainly have their hangis and barbecues, which do not require a permit in either Zone One or Zone Two for the time being.”

Mr Taylor will review the fire season status again in the New Year.

“If we get more of these periods of rain, we could stay in a restricted fire season in Zone One for sometime.

“But we could reintroduce a fire ban and extend this to Zone Two if we have a long spell of dry, windy weather.”

Mr Taylor warns against complacency and urges people to take extreme care when lighting permitted fires, barbeques and hangi fires.

People will be charged fire suppression costs even if fire services are called upon to put out permitted fires.

“Our simple message is, if you can’t control it, don’t light it.”

Permit applications can be obtained from and lodged with Juken NZ Ltd, Aupouri Forest Headquarters, DOC’s Kaitaia and Bay of Islands offices or Far North District Council Service Centres (phone 0800 920 029) during office hours.

Applicants should allow up to 72 hours for an inspection to be made.

However no permit applications will be processed from December 23 until January 9 because most rural fire officers will be taking a well-earned break.

The Northern Rural Fire Authority declared recent fires at Karikari and Ahipara fully extinguished this morning.

But it could take months to douse underground hot spots at White Cliffs Forest near Horeke where fire destroyed about 350 hectares of pine plantation last month.

Fire fighters are monitoring the forest and will consider whether to dig out deep-seated hot spots in the New Year.

Fire zone information (see attached map)

  • Zone One extends from Cape Reinga to the:
  • northern side of State Highway 10 from Taipa to Awanui
  • western side of State Highway One between Awanui and Kaitaia
  • northern and/or western side of Kaitaia–Awaroa Road
  • northern side of Uwhiroa Stream and the Herekino Harbour

Zone Two is the rest of the district.