Hot, dry weather forecast sees fire ban for Northland

Sunday, 24 November 2019

Fire restrictions are about to be introduced in Northland with a hot, dry weather forecast for the region adding to an already dry year.

The restrictions which start on Tuesday November 26, will mean fires cannot be lit without a permit in all of Northland.

Fire and Emergency NZ acting principal rural fire officer Wayne Martin said the weather in the north had been dry and next week's forecast was for a large high to come across the country.

Fires on Ngunguru Road earlier this month were believed to have been started by someone shooting fireworks from a car.

'For the next 10 days it is going to raise our temperatures, possibly as much as 10 degrees warmer than this time of year.

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'A bit of wind is with it as well.'

Another reason for the fire restrictions was the number of scrub fires in Northland in the last month.

'There's been a few escaped fires and there's been some that have been maliciously started in Whangārei - the ones from people's fireworks on Ngunguru Road,' Martin said.

'It's getting quite easy for fires to start and escape,' he said.

'It's just about having some control and ensuring everyone stays safe, and we don't lose too much of our natural environment.'

Under the restricted fire season, some fires can still be lit without a permit, such as braziers, barbecues and hangi, Martin said.

But for larger fires, permits were free and allowed Fire and Emergency to educate people about how to keep their fire under control.

More information and permit applications were available on the Check Its Alright website.