Restricted Fire Status for Ruapehu Rural Fire Area

Ruapehu is enacting a ‘Restricted Fire Status’ from midnight on Wednesday 28th January requiring anyone lighting an open air fire in the Rural Fire Area to obtain a permit first.

Ruapehu District Council (RDC) Principal Rural Fire Officer, Nick Watson, said that the district was rapidly drying out and the move to a restricted fire status was now necessary.

“The restricted fire status means that a fire permit is required for all rural open air fires except for barbeques lit in properly constructed containers and fuelled with gas of liquid fuel from this date,” he said.

“This covers all open air fires in the Rural Fire Area controlled by RDC and all Department of Conservation land.”

“If the district does not get any appreciable rain and continues to dry out we may need to consider enacting a complete fire ban.”

Mr Watson noted that anyone using machinery outdoors or wanting to use fire needs to take every precaution.

“Lighting an open air fire is always a risk however council provides free advice on safe fire practices including on site fire safety inspections at no charge,” he said.

“We have an excellent range of fire safety brochures which are available or alternatively people can contact council and arrange for a fire safety inspection on your property and the area you want cleared.”

Mr Watson said that the key rule to follow at any time is that if you need to use fire you must ensure that you can control it and if you are in any doubt about the conditions or fire safety then don’t burn.

ENDS

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