Check old fire sites are fully extinguished
2 September 2021
With strong winds forecast for parts of Southland, anyone who has lit an outdoor fire over the last fortnight is being asked to check it is completely out.
Southland Principal Rural Fire Officer Timo Bierlin says there is a risk that old fires could reignite in the kind of conditions expected over the next few days.
Fire and Emergency is still asking people to avoid lighting outdoor fires in Southland during level 3 lockdown so firefighters don’t have to leave their bubbles to respond to unnecessary call-outs.
"In normal times, we support farmers who are carrying out controlled burning as a land management tool at this time of year," Timo Bierlin says. "At present we would like them to hold off until we are back in alert level 2. And for those who have already been burning, we ask them to please go and check their old fire sites and make sure they are completely extinguished because of the strong winds that are forecast."