Fire and Emergency New Zealand has today announced that all islands of the Hauraki Gulf have entered a prohibited fire season from 1 December, until further notice.
This means no fires are allowed in the open air and all fire permits are suspended on the islands of Waiheke, Great Barrier, Rakino, Kawau and Ponui as well all other islands in the Gulf.
Announcing the total fire ban, Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s District Manager for Counties Manukau, Geoff Purcell, says forecast dry north westerly winds and above average temperatures could combine to significantly escalate fire dangers on the islands.
"With the temperature increasing, scrub and grasses will start drying out quickly. Combined with periods of extended warm, dry spells, there’s a high risk of wildfires occurring and spreading fast."
Fire and Emergency New Zealand's Geoff Purcell says the risk only becomes higher with the increase of visitors to the islands in December.
"We’ve had significant wildfires on the islands in previous Decembers caused by visitors lighting fires without knowledge of the surrounding environment. These fires have spread and damaged property and the environment."
He says the risk of significant fires is increased due to the islands’ isolation.
"The islands are only accessible by sea, and only some have airports. This can make responding to wildfires or evacuations delayed and difficult. We want to do everything we can to decrease the possibility such wildfires in the islands this summer."
Aucklanders should visit www.checkitsalright.nz before lighting any type of fire over the summer, to stay up to date with the current fire season.
