Fire chief issues stern warning after Far North rubbish fire takes hold of parched farmland

Okaihau fire chief Andrew Graham said the fire could have been much worse had it got to neighbouring paddocks with long grass. Photo / Jenny Ling

Northland's restricted fire season got off to a bad start after an out-of-control rubbish fire swept across a paddock on parched farmland in the Far North.

Three fire trucks with 15 volunteer firefighters from Kerikeri and Okaihau attended the blaze yesterday, which was located down a long driveway on Weka Lane, off Lodore Rd, about 5km from Kerikeri airport.

The fire was called in at 12.40pm by the property owner, who was burning paddock waste.

An out-of-control rubbish fire swept across a paddock on parched farmland between Kerikeri and Okaihau on Wednesday. Photo / Jenny Ling

Okaihau fire chief Andrew Graham said the 100m by 70m rubbish fire could have been much worse had it got to neighbouring paddocks with long grass.

"It started small and just with the temperatures getting up in the day it got drier and drier and ran across the paddock and into the gully.

"He [the owner] did the right thing by ringing us early. It just about got to the fence on the other side of the hill – if it had, it would have been huge.

"If it had got into the grass nothing would have stopped it – we would have needed helicopters."

The whole of the Far North, Whangārei and Kaipara districts moved into a restricted fire season from 8am on Monday.

This means a permit may be required to light a fire and, if granted, people will be required to follow the conditions listed.

Three fire trucks and 15 volunteer firefighters attended the blaze which was down a long driveway off Lodore Rd near Kerikeri. Photo / Jenny Ling

The season changes were prompted by the hot, dry and windy conditions.

Graham said it took firefighters about 30 minutes to put the Far North fire out, and there was another hour of dampening down hot spots.

Graham had a simple message for anyone wanting to light a fire.

This rubbish fire got quickly out of control due to scorching temperatures and a light breeze. Photo / Jenny Ling

"Don't light a fire at all," he said.

"You can apply for a permit and ask, but they're talking about the weather being like this for another four days. By that stage it will be so extreme it's not funny."

Graham thanked the volunteer firefighters who "dropped everything to come out and put this out."

He urged people to visit www.checkitsalright.nz to check the fire season status in your area.