Extra duty and hauling water

Fire brigades in the Far North rely absolutely on volunteers. How are they coping with conditions described as dry as a wooden statue?

As aware as we are of the dry conditions, we may not pay much attention to how the New Zealand Fire Service copes with a lack of water. We just expect them to turn up to put out fires and pretty bloody quickly.

Wipari Henwood from Whangarei has landed in the hot seat, so to speak. He's currently Acting Area Manager, Muriwhenua, Northern Region, filling in for Allan Kerrisk who is on extended leave overseas and says, first up, volunteers can't train as they would normally.

"Because of the restrictions we have to do beach training at places like Mangonui or Paihia and haul water from the sea or get it from rivers and streams but even they are low at the moment.

"In Kerikeri it's a different story because there are irrigation lakes so they are fairly well off so far as water supply is concerned."

Attending fires - and it doesn't matter whether it's a house fire, forest or grassland fire the shortage of water problem remains the same - a water tanker is always on call in addition to the two fire engines. Choppers are on standby as well.

"They scoop the water out of the sea with buckets so they can attack the fire straight away. At Shipwreck Bay, for instance, the choppers were there before the fire fighters."

If there is an upside to this, it's that commercial companies supplying water and the helicopters are enjoying increased business. But it's about the only positive to emerge from such conditions.

The dry season means a much greater commitment from volunteers and, particularly in the drought conditions exclusively volunteer brigades can struggle under the workload. Volunteers who might fight three or four fires in a row have to go back to work afterwards. It's physically exhausting and potentially emotionally taxing and if there's an element of frustration that creeps in, it's not so much that fire fighters in this region aren't paid, it's the fact that by far the majority of fires need not happen at all.

"Some fires are deliberately lit and we want the public to tell us if they know who has done it and it's the reason you will see the Crime Stopper signs around the place," Mr Henwood says firmly.

Then there's the attitude from Northlanders that it's their 'right' to light a fire, generated by a lack of knowledge or ignorance of the effect of lighting fires in these tinder conditions and it's why The NZ Fire Service is throwing resources at public education.

The rain in mid-March did little, if anything, to ease the current conditions so the additional contingency plans in place, and the extra workload for the volunteer fire brigades, will continue for a while yet. The long-range forecast for April predicts no substantial rain so Wipari Henwood will continue vigilantly minding the shop for a few weeks yet under conditions akin to a battle front.

The website www.havingafire.co.nz is the single point of contact for all fire authorities in Northland. It details permit protocols, the current fire status and safe fire advice.