Did you know that when you live in the country you are responsible for the cost of putting out a fire as well as the damage it causes?
Whangarei and Kaipara principal rural fire officer Kevin Ihaka says most people who move from urban areas to the country do not realise their responsibility until they are hit with a huge firefighting bill.
In 2009, Nelson couple Steve Garnett and Tracey Lynch accrued $1.2 million in fire service costs after a fire from their Tadmor property destroyed a neighbouring forest and home.
The case exemplifies how firefighting costs can become high quickly if you do not have Forest and Rural Fires Act cover in your insurance, Mr Ihaka says.
"Even the smallest of fires will be between $5000 and $10,000 in firefighting costs," he says.