Warning for public as tinder-dry conditions keep CHB firefighters busy

Please be very mindful of what

you’re doing around your sheds, whether it be mowing lawns, welding or any sort of machinery work, as sparks can go a long way.

Steve Walker

to do was “sit there in my pink sparkles, have a glass of wine and watch our shed burn”.

They believe the March 16 fire was started by a spark from a generator.

For the Central Hawke’s Bay volunteer fire brigades it was the second hay and implement shed fire they had attended that Saturday.

A Takapau shed had met a similar fate, leaving the owner devastated but causing no injuries.

Waipukurau volunteer fire brigade chief fire officer Steve Walker sent a reminder to Central Hawke’s Bay residents, as the district moved into a prohibited fire season this week.

“Please be very mindful of what you’re doing around your sheds, whether it be mowing lawns, welding or any sort of machinery work, as sparks can go a long way.

“Leave your lawn mower outside the shed to let it cool down before putting it away. Make sure you do any sort of machinery work well away from your sheds or dry grass and do not store wet hay bales or silage in a shed as this can cause combustion and it will ignite.

“Both of these recent sheds were burned to the ground. This is hard on the families and property owners, it’s not just the shed, it’s the family’s possessions as well.”

Walker said a fire of this type is a “long duration fire”.

“The Waipukurau fire call came in just after 4pm and we weren’t back at the fire station until after 10pm. It’s not a simple fire to put out . . . we have to protect other buildings and trees before we can contain the fire, then we work on extinguishing it.”

The owners of both sheds have heaped praise on local firefighters, dubbing them “amazing”.

Both have also praised neighbours and community who rallied to help.

Jevon-Dalgaard says “neighbours helped on the night — dragging the hay out with tractors so it could be hosed down. Then they came back in the following days with tractors and trailers to help bury the burned hay. Friends have been out and physically helped, and another friend started a Givealittle page which will give us a chance to make a start again”.

“It’s very humbling and we are really grateful. If the fire hadn’t been contained as quickly as it was, it could have been much worse.”

Last Saturday was another busy one for firefighters as they battled a vegetation fire off Pō rangahau Rd in Waipukurau which started just before 9am in “deep-seated grass” with firefighters on the scene for about three hours.

Firefighters were called to Waipukurau Skate Park late the same night, and extinguished a fire in a rubbish bin. The incident happened just before midnight.

Walker says the community needs to be aware of the current restricted fire season and the risks posed by long grass and dry conditions, with no substantial rain predicted for the next two months.