‘Total ban means total ban’
Dry grass and extreme heat have created a powder keg and warrant a total fire ban this summer, Marlborough fire crews say.
The urban and rural fire crews of the region have come together to call on the public to respect a total fire ban, which begins on Thursday.
Blenheim Volunteer Fire Brigade chief fire officer Nigel Botham said the ban was mandatory with fire conditions comparable to the disastrous Boxing Day fire of 2000.
‘‘A total ban means a total ban, there is no tolerance,’’ he said.
The ban would be enforced south of the Wairau River and include Blenheim, Picton, Havelock, Renwick, Seddon and Ward.
The urban fire boundary extended to the foot of the Wither Hills but the extreme conditions posed a big risk for all fire crews, Botham said.
‘‘We’re not joking around here, this is serious stuff. People need to be aware of the danger,’’ he said.
The Wither Hills were a major concern for crews after spring rains contributed to grass growth, Botham said.
Wither Hills Farm Park manager Scott Downing said weather conditions presented a dangerous situation for farm staff, contractors and the public.
The 1100-hectare farm on the outskirts of Blenheim was a working farm, and accessible to the public with numerous walkways and mountainbike tracks.
While above normal rainfall during the spring provided a welcome boost for grass growth and soil moisture levels pre-Christmas, the current hot windy conditions since had significantly added to the fire risk.
‘‘The fire risk is pretty dangerous for everyone who works on the farm at the moment, if it gets going I have no way of knowing where people are,’’ Downing said.
‘‘We are not out of the danger period yet and the next two months will be crucial for us as the risk of fire increased.’’
If a major fire broke out it was difficult to safeguard the safety of anyone who was in the park at the time, he said.
Marlborough Kaikoura Rural Fire Authority principal rural fire officer Richard McNamara said the Wither Hills attracted 180,000 visitors annually. Users should avoid going too high in the heat of the day, he said.
‘‘The costs of a fire can be huge, but all costs pale in significance if someone is trapped ahead of a fire,’’ he said.
‘‘You can rebuild a house and plant new trees but you can’t get back someone’s brother, sister, husband or wife.’’
Investigations were ongoing into three suspicious fires lit in the Wither Hills on New Year’s Eve, McNamara said.
More than 30 firefighters and four helicopter crews were called to fight three different blazes in the hills, lit about 800 metres apart.
It was a concern that somebody could be intentionally lighting fires and McNamara said he wanted to assure the public the investigation was in progress.
‘‘You don’t let these things slide. It’s concerning that they don’t have any regard for people’s safety,’’ he said.
The urban and rural crews would merge under the Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) organisation from July.
Both agencies were trying to achieve the same goal this summer and were already co-responding to rural callouts, McNamara said.
Residents of Marlborough should remain vigilant once the ban begins and police others who may be using fire, McNamara said.
"Have a chat with your neighbours and remind them you’re living in a powder keg,’’ he said.
The consequences for breaking a fire ban were hefty, Botham said. Anyone responsible for causing a fire during a ban could be held accountable for the damage caused, which could run into hundreds of thousands of dollars.
‘‘If you light it, you are responsible for it.’’