Hawke's Bay fire season extended north and south

An indication of what happens when fires get going in mid-summer: Tangoio, January 2020. Photo / NZME

Parts of both northern and southern Hawke's Bay will go into restricted fire season, meaning permits will be needed for fires in open spaces.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand Hawke's Bay District manager Ken Cooper said Mahia Peninsula, Wairoa Coastal Strip and Tararua will join Central Hawke's Bay and Rural Hastings, where a restricted fire season notice took effect three weeks ago in a restricted fire season.

The new notice comes into effect at 8am on Monday

Permits can be applied-for at checkitsalright.nz, and Cooper warns of the need to abide by the conditions of the permit, while everyone should be aware of the risks of fire and the need to make sure fires are extinguished before left unattended.

The restrictions come as it continues to get hotter and drier throughout the District, although daily weather statistics indicate Mahia rainfall for the month is about average for January.

But from Napier to the south recent rainfall has been as little as a quarter to a third of January average, and temperatures in the area are expected to return to the high 20s and early 30s later this week towards the Waitangi Day holiday weekend.

Traditionally Hawke's Bay is in closed fire season by late January, but the conditions have left extensive vegetation growth, making the region vulnerable in periods of higher temperatures and breezes and winds.

"The fire danger is increasing, making it easier for a fire to spread and get out of control," Cooper says. "We appreciate everyone doing their bit to stay safe and prevent wildfires in the Hawke's Bay."

There are still some activities people can do while in a restricted fire season, which can be checked using the "can I light a fire tool" on checkitsalright.nz.

In the 36 hours to 11am today, fire crews in Hawke's Bay had answered more than a dozen calls, but just one rural vegetation fire, over an area about 150mx100m in the Puketapu area west of Napier. Crews from Napier and Hastings which spent were at the scene up to two hours after the alarm was raised at 4.33pm on Friday.

Among other incidents, which were mainly false alarms or medical assistance, were a small beach fire at Te Awanga, reported at 7.48pm on Friday, and a car fire reported in the Puketapu area about an hour later.

A rubbish fire sparked a call in Havelock North at 12.3am today (Saturday) and the Wairoa Volunteer Fire Brigade was called at 1.05am to a crash in which a car was reported to have caught fire.