Fire Emergency NZ using native birds in summer fire awareness campaign

Sunday, 15 December 2019

Fire season has become a new reality for New Zealanders, prompting a public awareness campaign about the dangers infernos pose to the country's wildlife.

This year posters adorned with the kiwi, tūī and pīwakawaka will spread awareness and information about how to prevent, and the affects of, a devastating wildfire.

The campaign, which started on Saturday,  pulls at the heartstrings with messages about the destruction fire poses to people, property and the native birds 'that are part of our national identity'.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) service delivery deputy chief executive Kerry Gregory said fire was one of the most significant risks to threatened species such as the kiwi and tūī because it destroyed habitat, as well as life.

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'All are threatened by fire, either directly or indirectly through the destruction of their habitat,' he said.

'No one wants their property destroyed or their life disrupted by fire, but many of us still don't understand the risks associated with some common activities.'

The warning comes after out-of-control fires, the likely result of sparks from machinery, devastated forestry in Nelson. It threatened homes, killed stock, and affected the thousands of residents who were forced to evacuate their properties. The fires, which burnt through about 2400 hectares for just over a month, sparked a national emergency.

In November about 5000ha  of land was scalded in Otago – the fire spreading five times faster than a normal fire due to weather conditions. It was one of the largest fires the country had seen in more than 30 years, according to FENZ.

The fire caught near Te Papanui Conservation Park, near Middlemarch, with hot and windy conditions fanning the flames which helped it spread through almost 3000ha  in one day.

Last year, out-of-control land-clearing and campfires saw thousands of hectares of natural habitat destroyed.

In Australia, bushfires are threatening New South Wales and Queensland with smoke blanketing towns and cities across the states and reaching as far as New Zealand. Lives have been lost, properties destroyed, thousands of hectares of bushland charred and wildlife killed.

A spark from a 'cooking fire', a burn-off, a piece of equipment like a lawnmower, or a charcoal barbecue could ignite a devastating wildfire in extreme conditions, Gregory said.

Controlled burns, cooking and camping fires cause 65 per cent of New Zealand's wildfires, he added.

The public needed to keep up to date with the fire status changes in their area before they worked with machinery outdoors, or lit fires of any kind.

FENZ worked with the Department of Conservation to select the kiwi,  tūī and pīwakawaka as ambassadors for the campaign.

More information about the campaign, how to reduce fire risks, and information about fire permits can be found on the FENZ website.