Tauranga fire safety risk manager Bill Rackham (left) and Tauranga Moana Rural Fire Authority principal fire officer Alan Pearce. Photo/Andrew Warner.
Recent rainfall has reduced the region's fire danger rating enough to allow Western Bay Moana Rural Fire Authority to begin re-issuing fire permits to the public.
From today, residents can apply for temporary fire permits but will not be issued with a season-long permit, principal rural fire officer Alan Pearce
said.
A suspension on all fire permits had been in place for the past three weeks after continuous dry, hot weather raised fire danger levels in Tauranga City and the Western Bay to 'extreme'.
"The recent rain has alleviated the high risk of wildfires and we are again able to issue open air fire permits to the public, for the time being," Mr Pearce said.
Permits issued will vary with the type of fuel to be burned, he adds. For example, braziers, campfires, traditional cooking, garden and household garden rubbish fire permits will be granted for a period of four weeks maximum.
