Sign of the times: Fire conditions in Northland, including Aupouri Forest Headquarters, are now extreme. Photo / Supplied
Sign of the times: Fire conditions in Northland, including Aupouri Forest Headquarters, are now extreme. Photo / Supplied
With Northland sizzling in the sun and water sources drying up, the fire risk has risen to extreme with officials fearing a blaze could be catastrophic this weekend.
The whole of the region has been covered by a prohibited fire season since the beginning of the year, but volunteers across the North have been constantly fighting fires, with little sign of slowing down.
As conditions become severe fire officials say they are taking a tougher line with those who repeatedly flouting the fire ban likely to face prosecution.
This weekend the dry conditions combined with low humidity and wind present some of the most dangerous conditions this summer.
Dargaville and the area around Hokianga were particularly dry and at risk.
A scrub fire believed to have been started by burning rubbish ripped through nearly three hectares at Paparore yesterday.
Yesterdaya scrub fire believed to have been started by burning rubbish at 2.15pm ripped through nearly three hectares at Paparore, 18km northwest of Kaitaia, before firefighters with the help of two helicopters managed to extinguish the blaze.
Principal Rural Fire Officer Myles Taylor said conditions were being monitored on an hourly basis and with the help of computer modelling there was an emergency plan in place which included having four helicopters ready to respond to any reported fires.
"There are forestry crews on standby ready for rapid deployment, an incident management team and incident controllers ready to fly in helicopters," Taylor said.
Conditions had been continuously getting drier with the fire risk rising to extreme this week.
Taylor and his team had been monitoring conditions every day during the drought, assessing the danger, and as the moisture in the grass decreased the potential for a fire to spread rapidly increased.
"With the tinder-dry conditions it's possible we will get a running fire and it will be extremely hard to stop and extinguish," Taylor said.
Illegal rubbish fires had meant volunteer Fire and Emergency New Zealand crews had been called to at least 100 preventable fires since the start of the year.
But it was those nuisance fires that could get out of control this weekend and become catastrophic.
Principal Rural Fire Officer Myles Taylor said conditions are being monitored on an hourly basis. Photo / File
Taylor said those who continue to ignore officials could be facing prosecution and fines.
"It's not the space that we want to be and the impact of these fires can be dramatic. We need to keep the community safe and if people are continuing to flout the law then we'll have to look at enforcement," Taylor said.
"We're imploring our communities to keep a watchful eye out for irresponsible fire-lighting. If you see someone looking to light a rubbish fire or burning off, please ask them not to, or talk to them about alternative ways to dispose of rubbish or unwanted material."
Last week the Kawakawa Fire Brigade responded to what was initially reported as a shed fire on North Rd but found a rubbish fire instead. Then hours later they were called to another rubbish fire in Moerewa.
Fire chief Wayne Martin said he would visit the North Rd resident to remind him of the rules. As a business owner he couldn't claim he didn't know about the fire ban.
"There's no excuse. People just have to stop lighting fires," he said.
