Fire and Emergency NZ (Fenz) encouraging people in Hawke’s Bay to take extra care when burning rubbish or slash piles after a spike in vegetation fires.
Firefighters attended 23 vegetation fires across the district during December, up from nine in November.
The primary cause was people burning, with nine caused by out-of-control rubbish fires and three started by slash-pile burns.
Fenz raised the fire danger to ‘high’ for Hawke’s Bay up to Wairoa during December.
Fenz Hawke’s Bay Community risk manager Nigel Hall said while the triggers have not been met for entering a restricted fire season, where a permit is needed for any open-air fire, there is cause for concern this week with hot, windy conditions forecast.