Fire and Emergency's national manager community readiness and recovery Steve Turek understands that thousands of Northlanders are stuck at home with time on their hands and keen to get all sorts of jobs done, but is cautioning against burning household rubbish or garden waste.
He also asks that people delay applying for a permit for an outdoor fire until the Covid-19 lockdown is over.
"We are asking for your patience and understanding during these extraordinary times in our country, and asking that you do not light any outdoor fires unless they are absolutely necessary," he said.
"If you currently have a permit, or are planning to use fire for activities such as stubble burn-offs, please carefully review the conditions before lighting any fires.
"Fire and Emergency NZ is receiving lots of phone calls from people wanting fire permits. While we are under Covid-19 Alert Level 4 restrictions we are unable to visit sites to review permit applications. We are understandably reluctant to put the public and our people at risk to conduct inspections, and there will be cases where we cannot grant permits at this time."