Take extra care with fireworks tonight. Photo / Supplied
Take extra care with fireworks tonight. Photo / Supplied
Kiwis are being warned to take extra precautions with fireworks tonight after a 200ha fire forced hundreds of people to evacuate a coastal North Canterbury campsite.
It has been established the fire was ignited following a firework being set off.
Firefighters fought the relentless blaze through Wednesday night with helicopters dousing thousands of litres of water overhead on Thursday. Fire chiefs expect it will take the rest of the weekend to bring it under total control.
Police quickly identified two young people in relation to the event and hope that this brings some reassurance to the community.
Community education manager Adrian Nacey has encouraged people not to light fireworks if it’s too windy.
“It only takes a stray firework to start a fire or hurt someone, so if you’re lighting fireworks this Guy Fawkes please take simple precautions to keep everyone safe.
“Fireworks can make a fun celebration, but they can also be dangerous and need to be used responsibly,” he says.
It’s expected to be a fine day for much of New Zealand on Saturday and little rain is forecast to dampen the spirits of revellers letting off crackers.
In New Zealand, fireworks are only sold in the four-day lead-up to Guy Fawkes each year - November 2 to November 5.
Chief executive of the Veterinary Association, Kevin Bryant says despite this, animal welfare is at risk, potentially all year round.
“We are part of a collaborative group of organisations who advocate to the government to completely stop the sale of fireworks altogether.
“Even though the public is now limited to those four days, people still buy and store fireworks all year round which means animals are potentially in danger all year round.”
With the impacts of Covid-19 restrictions on public gatherings, more people were confined to their own backyards.
The Veterinary Association is hopeful that with restrictions easing, the public will be encouraged to attend more organised public events rather than setting off fireworks at home.
“If there is a public display, we encourage the public to go along to those instead. Each year we treat animals that have been harmed by incidents relating to fireworks - often horrific and life-threatening.
“From cats being set on fire to horses running into barbed wire, fireworks are extremely harmful to animal welfare,” Bryant says.
Canterbury fire crews have been battling a large scrub fire at Woodend Beach. Photo / George Heard
Student vet nurse, Schuyler Sameli from the Auckland veterinary hospital says there are a few ways pet owners can protect their pets during this time.
“Around this time we try to encourage pet owners to use radio or TV as a means of distraction.
“We also have specific products for certain animals that are very helpful. For example, for dogs, we have ‘thunder shirts’ that help calm their anxiety down, especially during a time like Guy Fawkes,” Sameli says.
There are no rules around when you can set fireworks off but there are a few rules around where.
Many local councils have laws that stop people from lighting fireworks in public places such as beaches or parks and most recently, mountains.
Aucklanders are being asked to help the Tūpuna Maunga Authority to protect the 14 ancestral mountains that are precious taonga.
The Tūpuna Maunga (ancestral mountains) hold paramount significance in the historical, spiritual and ancestral standing of the 13 iwi and hapū of Ngā Mana Whenua o Tāmaki Makaurau (the Māori tribes of Auckland).
The devastating annual fires on maunga caused by fireworks led to successful closures in 2020 and 2021.
The Tūpuna Maunga will be closed to the public in the evenings from November 2 to November 6.
There will be advisory signage, and security staff will patrol the maunga and explain the closures to the public.
This year’s Guy Fawkes celebrations will be the first time in two years that whānau can gather with no crowd restrictions to gaze upon the night lights.
