Scrub fires indicate blaze risk heats up

There might seem to have been a lot of rain lately, but three scrub fires in 24 hours last weekend have prompted a warning from the Kaitaia Fire Brigade's senior station officer, Ross Beddows.

None of the fires were suspicious - all three had been a combination of carelessness and "unfortunate circumstances" - but all had been potentially destructive, he said, and it was timely to offer a reminder that the fire danger was growing as the wet weather came to an end.

The first call came just after 11am on Sunday, with two appliances attending a scrub alongside the Kaitaia-Awaroa Rd at Pukepoto.

The fire had taken hold in pampas, mainly, and thick smoke was drifting across the road, creating a visibility hazard for traffic.

The blaze was brought under control quickly, although one appliance had to ferry water from the nearest hydrant in Kaitaia.

"We found the remains of a shanty," Mr Beddows said.

"It turned out that it had been made by some local kids who had been roasting marshmallows.

"They had put their campfire out but some embers remained and the wind did the rest.

"A little talk from us was all that was needed to get the fire safety message across, and no real damage was done."

The crews were still there when another fire was reported about a kilometre further west, on the same road, this time on a farm where a rubbish fire, also thought to have been extinguished, reignited when strong winds blew up about noon.

The flames got close to a shed and fences but the real problem was that it took hold in the hollow part of a very large, old macrocarpa.

"Fortunately the farmer was on hand with a tractor and chainsaw, and there was also a good source of water nearby," Mr Beddows said. Crews from Kaitaia and Ahipara were involved for a couple of hours before it was deemed safe to leave.

At 3.15 on Monday afternoon appliances from Ahipara and Kaitaia were dispatched to a scrub fire at Manukau, which started after apiarists checking hives lost their smoker overboard from their quad.

An area of kikuyu caught instantly, and the fire could not be stopped before it spread into scrub, burning to within inches of the hives.

"Fire crews did an excellent job of stopping the spread of this fire, and it was brought under control much more quickly than first appeared likely," Mr Beddows said.

"Water from two appliances was enough to extinguish the fire, and the firefighters who were working near the hives were not sure whether to employ their shovels in attacking the flames or as a defence against the bees. Fortunately they recognised us as the good guys and no harm was done."

All three incidents should serve as a timely reminder that conditions are drier than many expect however, and that every effort must be made to ensure any rubbish fire is completely extinguished, or supervised until it is.

"The windy conditions we get in September and October must be taken into account when lighting fires, as should be the need to have a permit should you live in a restricted fire zone."