Rain brings open fire season for Central Hawke's Bay

The rain has lessened the fire risk across Central Hawke's Bay.

The rain has lessened the fire risk across Central Hawke's Bay

Central Hawke's Bay joined the rest of the Hawke's Bay District in an open fire season on Tuesday, March 1.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand district manager Ken Cooper says these rural areas of Hawke's Bay have recently been in a restricted fire season, but have now moved back to an open season because of the current weather conditions.

"Moving back to an open fire season means anyone wanting to light an open-air fire will no longer need a permit, he says. "But while a permit isn't needed, people should still take care when lighting an outdoor fire."

"Recent rainfall and higher humidity from the Easterly winds have lowered the fire danger, but fire is always a risk regardless of the fire season, so always have a plan to fully extinguish it," Ken says.

"If you are planning a large scale burn with heavy fuels, please hold off until Autumn. These types of burns can reignite in strong winds, weeks or sometimes months after the burn."

"If you have multiple burn piles, please burn one right down and extinguish it fully before lighting another"

Before you light, make sure to check the conditions on www.checkitsalright.nz. If it's hot and windy, do not light a fire.

For more fire safety advice go to www.checkitsalright.nz.