Prohibited fire season declared in Selwyn

A prohibited fire season has been declared in Selwyn District, effective from 10am Wednesday 7 January 2015.

Under the restrictions no outdoor fires can be lit in the district. The burning of crop stubble is also not allowed. Gas barbeques with a high pressure water source at hand are allowed but not charcoal barbeques. Fires are also not permitted in Council reserves. During a prohibited fire season all fire permits previously issued by the Council are also cancelled.

The districts Deputy Principal Rural Fire Officer Douglas Marshall says that vegetation in Selwyn District is now very dry and a prohibited fire season has been introduced to help ensure that the risk of fires breaking out is minimised.

"Selwyn has been experiencing hot, dry weather along with strong winds and this provides ideal conditions for fires to spread quickly," he says.

Mr Marshall says that people need to be very vigilant in this weather to avoid any activities that could start a fire. "We would discourage people from mowing the lawn or operating machinery during the heat of the day as sparks can easily ignite in the heat, and instead carry out these activities when it is cooler. Letting off fireworks is also not allowed in the current conditions."

Mr Marshall says the Council will be reviewing the prohibited fire season status regularly and will lift restrictions as soon as it is considered safe to do so.

Reducing fire risk

You can help to reduce the fire risk, and make sure that fire services can quickly access your property to put out a fire if one does start, by:

- avoiding operating lawn mowers or other machinery during hot weather as sparks can easily ignite in these conditions, and waiting until the weather is cooler to mow laws or operate machinery. If you do need to use machinery or a lawn mower, having a source of water nearby for fire firefighting is advisable as a precaution

- regularly checking and maintaining machinery and equipment so it is safe to operate

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Prohibited fire season declared in Selwyn