C’mon Keep it Green
HOW EVERYONE IS RESPONSIBLE FOR REDUCING THE RISK OF RURAL FIRES
Please note: This C’mon Keep it Green article was written prior to the Christchurch Fires and has been amended to reflect this. Our thoughts are with all those who have been affected so badly and thank all those involved in the efforts on the ground and in the air – The Editor
If you’ve driven anywhere in New Zealand in the last few weeks, you will have noticed how dry the country is at the moment. Road verges are tinder dry, paddocks are parched, and around the country there are fire restrictions in place. This month The Port Hills in Christchurch experienced a swath of destruction with not only the loss of a life, several homes and much vegetation, but also plenty of disruption for those living on the hills.
And last month we saw the consequences of a fast-moving vegetation fire when four homes and a historic commune complex were lost near Whitianga. While the loss of property is devastating, this month we also remember our friends in Australia on the anniversaries of the 2006 Victorian Bushfires where 1.3 million hectares burned, 51 homes were lost and 1 person died; and the 1967 Tasmanian Bushfires which became known as Black Tuesday following the loss of 1,293 homes and 62 lives.
In New Zealand, we tend to focus on building fires with legislation geared towards the safe evacuation of buildings and campaigns around domestic smoke detectors and home fire safety, so why is it important to manage the risks associated with rural fires? And whose responsibility is it?
TAKING PRECAUTIONS
Our economy is heavily reliant on our rural sectors, especially agriculture, forestry and tourism activities. This is especially true in our smaller towns, where the people involved in these industries are often also involved in the local Rural Fire Brigades or make their resources available in an emergency. For those of us who travel through these areas or visit, it is critical that we all practice good risk management to ensure our activities don’t increase the risk of fire, or adversely affect the livelihood of those areas.
If you own or operate a business in a rural area, there are some precautions you should consider to manage the risk of a fire on your property. Consider the conditions:
- Any risky activity should be avoided on hot, dry days and when it’s windy;
- Is your gear suitable for the task? Avoid tools such as chainsaws and slashers, and make sure spark arresters are fitted;
- Check to make sure your insurance is up to date; and
- Consider having safety equipment like extinguishers, hand tools or knapsack sprayers handy.
If you’re planning on using a Contractor to work on your property, discuss the risk of fire with them. If the work isn’t urgent, consider rescheduling, make sure they have insurance too, and talk about an emergency procedure should fire break out.
The National Rural Fire Authority has an excellent resource available for making your rural property fire safe here and here.
Over summer many of us enjoy the many forests, parks and open spaces available for a range of recreation activities, yet every year fires are caused by carelessly discarded cigarette butts, campfires and cookers, hot equipment such as exhausts and even ricocheting bullets. Any heat source has the potential to quickly ignite dry vegetation, and the consequences can be catastrophic as we’ve learned from Whitianga and from overseas.
RURAL FIRE AUTHORITIES
Rural Fire Authorities are the agencies tasked with managing the risk of fires in a certain area. Usually this would be the Council, but the Department of Conservation, Defence Force and Forestry Owners are also RFA’s. The costs to these agencies for fighting fires can be huge, and like all risks, prevention is better than cure. Each RFA is responsible for declaring and enforcing Restricted Fire Seasons when conditions require it, which usually involves restricting or prohibiting activities involving open fires, and in some cases restricting or closing access to areas such as forestry blocks or parks where the public would usually be able to visit. The public visiting these areas have a responsibility to help reduce risks by:
- Follow the instructions on your Fire Permit;
- Have access to water or take a Fire Extinguisher with you;
- Use Gas Cookers or BBQ’s instead of open campfires;
- Check that machinery, equipment and engine exhausts are clear of dry vegetation; and
- Don’t use Tracer or Black Powder Ammunition if using firearms.
Remember that in a Restricted Fire Season you will need a Permit to light a fire in the open air, and in a Prohibited Fire Season there is a total fire ban and existing Permits will be cancelled.
So it seems clear – while RFA’s work to reduce the risk of rural fires, anyone who lives, works or visits these areas has a part to play in keeping New Zealand green. The controls aren’t put in place lightly, so when they are, everyone needs to respect them. We owe it to the landowners and people who work and live in rural areas, we owe it to the volunteer firefighters who leave their jobs and families to attend emergencies, we owe it to ourselves to make sure our treasured places are safe, and we owe it to our wallets because ultimately the costs of rural fires are met by ratepayers and taxpayers.
Like our old mate Bernie on the roadside signs says, if you see smoke or anything suspicious, call 111 and tell them – C’mon, Keep it Green.
Check out the National Rural Fire Authority at www.nrfa.org.nz or for more information contact us on 0800 023 789 or email info@allaboutpeople.co.nz
Darren Hodgetts, All About People Fire Safety Specialist