03 September 2024

Fire and Emergency New Zealand Incident Commander Brian Keown says the fire ground at Waipara experienced very high winds overnight, but the fire did not escape the forestry boundary.

"The fire size is approximately 85 hectares but has seen some growth since yesterday. Once mapping is complete, we will get a better understanding of how big it is," Brian Keown says.

"On site today we have multiple firefighting crews supported by heavy machinery, water tankers and five helicopters.

"An incident management team is continuing to operate out of the Waipara Fire Station and is planning for a predicted wind direction change this afternoon to southwest winds and some rain.

"The rain is not likely to be enough to be helpful but will make navigating around the fireground more difficult," he says.

As of 4pm yesterday the Canterbury District declared a prohibited fire season (Total Fire Ban) for the whole of the Canterbury District. Canterbury District is north of the Rakaia River to just north of the Clarence River.

The prohibited fire season will run for a week, until 11.59pm on Monday 9 September 2024.

A prohibited fire season means a total ban on outdoor fires, and all previously granted fire permits are no longer valid.

"We ask that anyone who has burned outdoor fires recently to check and ensure your fires are extinguished, and if there are any concerns, please call 111 immediately," Brian Keown says.

"We would like to thank the greater Waipara community for their continued help and support."

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