More 'fire fuel' in Marlborough this summer, firefighters warn.

Sunday, 13 January 2019

'Phenomenal' plant growth and predicted hot weather means Marlborough is ripe for scrub fires, emergency services warn. 

Fire and Emergency (FENZ) is warning people to take precautions as the wet end to last year had sparked grass growth which is 'fuel' for fires. 

FENZ Marlborough principal rural fire officer John Foley said Marlborough wasn't 'bone dry' yet, but that would change in the next two weeks. 

'You only have to look around the district to see how quickly it's starting to turn.

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'Anywhere there is long tall grass, for us that's fuel.'

If Marlborough received the heat which was predicted over the next two weeks, the grass would quickly brown off, Foley said. He expected there would be an 'elevated fire risk' in February and March.

'It doesn't matter whether it's the farming community, or campers, anyone that's using any device that's capable of generating heat, need to be really careful with what they're doing,' Foley said.

Marlborough hasn't had any significant fires since 2015, with last year being a particularly 'wet fire season', Foley said. 

'I don't believe we're going to see that two years in a row.'

The last 'bad run' saw 1150 hectares of forestry burned in the Wairau Valley. 

MetService communication meteorologist Lisa Murray said Marlborough would experience the odd shower in the next few weeks, but nothing that would give the ground a significant soaking.

A number of 'weak fronts' were about to move up the country. Ahead of these fronts the winds tended to be drying north westerly, Murray said. 

Foley said FENZ had been called out to some small grass fires this season, but because it was still 'relatively green' they hadn't moved anywhere in a hurry.

​Two weeks ago a rogue electrical wire sparked a grass fire just south of Blenheim. 

'If that had happened in three weeks time … it would have just taken off because the fuel would have been a lot drier,' he said.

There was currently a restricted fire season in place, which meant people needed a permit to light fires.

If the hot weather continued, Foley estimated a total fire ban would be in place by the end of the week.

Last week, FENZ put up signage in the Wither Hills Farm Park cautioning walkers and bikers to avoid the area between 10am and 4pm. 

'All it is, is a guide to the public, to say that between those hours, you shouldn't really be going to the upper reaches of the farm park, it's not really safe. 

'There's no escape route.'

In 2000, people were evacuated from the Wither Hills Farm Park in the Boxing Day fire which tore through 7000 hectares of grassland, threatening houses and killing livestock.

Foley attended a fire on Jackson's Rd last weekend where a fire lit before Christmas flared back up. 

He strongly advised people check on piles from fires they had lit previously. 

'Dig into it and make sure it's not hot. It can look cold on top, and not smoking, but then we get a 30 degree day and a strong westerly wind.

'There's a high chance that if it's sitting smouldering on the ground that we'll end up with a scape fire out of it at some point.'

Safety Tips: 

Check old ash piles

Don't mow in the heat of the day. 

If you're doing maintenance, do it on gravel, rather than on the edge of a paddock. 

Before lighting a fire, check it's authorised on checkitsalright.nz