Training to protect Jolendale Park
ALEXANDRA’S hot temperatures and the importance of a protected area have prompted additional planning for firefighters as they consider how they would fight particular kinds of fires.
About 15 Alexandra, Clyde and Dunstan rural and urban firefighters took part in an exercise last week at Jolendale Park, which was a protected area and ‘‘very important to the town’’, Fire and Emergency New Zealand Rural Fire Officer and Alexandra Volunteer Fire Brigade Deputy Chief Fire Officer Mark Hutton said.
The 6ha treefilled Jolendale Park was established by longtime Alexandra residents Jolyon and Enny Manning, who gave the area to the community several years ago and have protected it with a QEII covenant.
‘‘A lot of people know that this reserve and what the Mannings have done is very special to the community.
‘‘We take that seriously and we want to protect it,’’ Mr Hutton said.
The training exercise went over strategies for fighting a fire in the park, and also reminded firefighters how to keep themselves safe in such a situation, he said.
‘‘When we’re talking about extreme fire danger days we have to remember that our safety is paramount.
‘‘As well as protecting areas and property we have to consider the personal safety of firefighters as well.’’
Ironically, the training exercise was initially due to be held on the evening of December 11, the day a scrub fire burnt an area of 400m by 200m near Clyde cemetery, Mr Hutton said.
Because of the large numbers of firefighters who had spent several hours at the Clyde fire, the training was postponed and carried out later in the week.
However, the Clyde fire had reminded them how quickly a fire could ‘‘take off’’ in such dry conditions, Mr Hutton said.
As well as the Jolendale Park training, firefighters also talked about the possibility of fires breaking out in the Chapman Rd and Earnscleugh Rd areas, below Bridge Hill.
If a fire broke out in those areas it could quickly spread uphill to residential areas on Bridge Hill, a scenario for which firefighters needed to be prepared, Mr Hutton said.
He reminded the public of the need to comply with the total fire ban, or ‘‘prohibited season’’, that was now in place, as said the area was ‘‘extremely dry’’.
It was the earliest he could remember a total ban being in place in Central Otago.
He encouraged those using equipment outside such as mowers and grinders to be particularly vigilant, and said such work was best done in the early part of the day.