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Country Dwellers Need Own Fire Safety Measures

Thursday 1 November 2012, 11:36PM

By Marlborough District Council

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MARLBOROUGH

If you live on a rural property, your house is at greater risk of being lost or substantially damaged in a fire because of the distances that rural and urban fire services must travel to reach you.

New homes constructed with modern building materials can be lost within five minutes once a fire takes hold.
Anyone building a new home in an isolated rural setting should seriously consider installing an in-home sprinkler system – it’s like having a fire fighter in every room.

All rural homes should have smoke alarms installed and regularly maintained.

Make sure that multi-purpose fire extinguishers are on hand inside the house and in any outbuildings.

  • Get advice on the location and number of smoke alarms you need for your house from your local fire brigade
  • For more information about home sprinkler systems go to www.homesprinklers.fire.org.nz
  • Get the Fire Smart Home Owners Manual from the New Zealand Rural Fire Authority at http://www.nrfa.org.nz/media%20assets/fs912%20firesmart%20home%20owners%20manual%20v3.pdf
  • Further enquiries contact Marlborough Kaikoura’s Principal Rural Fire Officer, Mac McNamara, phone 03 520 7400.