Now they're copping abuse volunteers in firing line

Far North volunteer firefighters, already feeling the stress of time spent away from work and families, are now copping abuse from some of the people who have lit illegal fires.

Some property owners have not been happy to see fire crews arrive to extinguish their backyard rubbish fires over recent weeks, and have been taking it out on the volunteers.

One such incident occurred at Waihou Valley on March 3, when the Okaihau Fire Brigade was called out to a rubbish fire. The property owner, who knew about the ban, reportedly became aggressive and threatened to set his dogs on the volunteers.

Deputy Chief Fire Officer Jack Winwood said it was a "fairly typical" response at this time of year, and he didn't want to make a big deal of it. Firefighters often had to explain that the total fire ban applied to everyone and to all outdoor fires, big or small.

Principal rural fire officer Myles Taylor, however, said such behaviour would not be tolerated.

"These firefighters are serving their community as volunteers. We're not going to tolerate any kind of threat or aggression, and we won't hesitate to involve the police," he said.

The Waihou Valley fire-starter would be invoiced for the cost of the callout. The Rural Fire Authority was considering further action.

Fire Service volunteer support officer and Kaitaia CFO Colin Kitchen said aggression towards firefighters was an ongoing issue.

"People say they're going to burn their rubbish anyhow. They claim they can't afford to take it to the dump, but it's a lot cheaper than a $2000 fine. They [volunteers] do it without pay to make Northland a safer place, so it's a bit disappointing when they get abused."