Beach fire ban reminder

BEACHGOERS are being reminded that a total fire ban is permanently in place on any beaches in the Manawatu District, even though the majority of the region still enjoys an open fire season.

Principal Rural Fire Officer, Tony Groome, said a reasonable amount of rain over the past month meant the district had not reached the danger levels needed to declare a restricted season.
“I’m pretty comfortable with the situation at the moment, but the region is drying out fast on the days when there is no rain, so people need to be cautious about any fires they light,” he said.

Mr Groome said there had been incidents of unattended beach campfires causing problems, with the Himatangi Volunteer Fire Brigade recently attending a “potentially dangerous” fire deep in the sand dunes next to a heavily forested area.
“An on-shore breeze normally gets up in the late afternoon and can blow sparks from a beach fire into the dunes, which may catch alight and spread into nearby coastal forest blocks.”

He said beach fires were permanently banned in Manawatu, and in surrounding districts, and a restricted fire season always remained in place for a coastal strip running 3km in from the foreshore.

Mr Groome said he was monitoring the situation in the Manawatu and Rangitikei Districts on a regular basis, with the long-range weather forecast indicating a reasonably dry summer and conditions likely to be at their driest from late January through to March.