Firefighter boss urges farmers to be vigilant

Fires have raged across the country this summer, and a senior firefighter says crews are frustrated at fighting fires that could have been prevented.

A fire in the Hokonui Hills near Gore started when an old fire flared up when land was being cultivated on Wednesday.

Southern district deputy principal rural fire officer Timo Bierlin said farmers needed to be more vigilant when dealing with burnoffs to make sure they were out, and cultivating land that had previously been burnt.

‘‘Firefighters are getting a bit frustrated. They have to leave their jobs and their family and go and clean up a mess from a farmer that has neglected to do due diligence. Farmers need to keep an eye on fires that they lit months ago. If they’re cultivating that area they can dig up hot ashes that can reignite and start a new fire which could damage their land or someone elses.’’

He said they also needed to pay more careful attention to the weather forecast before lighting a fire.

‘‘They look at the forecast and see rain coming and think that will put their fire out but fronts have quite strong winds in front of them which can cause fires to flare up and become out of control, or carry embers, so farmers aren’t paying attention to that.’’

‘‘People get a bit precious about a little bit of smoke. The fire service needs to consult first about putting them out.’’ Federated Farmers president Geoffrey Young

Federated Farmers president Geoffrey Young said sometimes people were ‘‘too precious’’ about fires on hill country or cultivated areas.

‘‘Certainly farmers need to be cautious in very dry conditions but fire is still a very valuable tool for farmers to use for clearing land in open country.

‘‘As long as there are no buildings or stock in the way and conditions are right I think sometimes we can be too quick to put them out and it could be better to let them burn themselves out.

‘‘People get a bit precious about a little bit of smoke. The fire service needs to consult first about putting them out.’’

Farmer Logan Evans, who had a two hectare fire in tussock land on his property in the Hokonui Hills on Wednesday night, said he would be more vigilant in future.

‘‘You don’t realise how long that heat from a fire sits in the ground.’’