Far North Zone One (Aupouri and Karikari Peninsulas and the Kaitaia/Ahipara area) and Kaipara districts will move from a prohibited to restricted fire season effective from 8am Tuesday 28 April 2020.

This means all of the Far North, Whangarei and Kaipara districts will now be in a restricted fire season and a permit is required to light fire in the open air from this date.

Principal Rural Fire Officer Myles Taylor says that with some permitted fires, communities may see smoke in some areas. However, anyone planning on lighting a fire or applying for a permit is urged to think carefully about the situation the country is currently in.

"We will be looking at permit applications on a case by case basis but during COVID-19 Alert levels 4 and 3 we are unable to conduct site visits which means it may take longer than usual for permit applications to be processed.

"We ask that you continue to hold off lighting any non-essential outdoor fires so firefighters don’t have to respond to a preventable call.

"It is not essential to burn that rubbish and garden waste right now, so please be patient and wait until it is safe to do so."

"Even if the fire is under control, the smoke often results in 111 calls from well-meaning members of the public and means firefighters need to leave their bubbles unnecessarily."

"Please help us keep our firefighters safe, so we can continue to keep you safe."

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