The Whanganui-Manawatū area has returned to open fire season as of 8am on Wednesday morning.
Whanganui-Manawatū area covers Whanganui, Rangitikei, Ruapehu, Horowhenua, Manawatū district council areas, in addition to the Palmerston North City Council area.
The Manawatū-Whanganui district shifted to restricted fire season on February 2nd, while the Ruapehu District had been in a restricted season since January 28.
The return to open fire season means that permits are no longer required for any kind of open-air fire.
Fire and Emergency NZ’s Manawatū-Whanganui district manager Nigel Dravitzki said the decision to remove fire restrictions was driven by the current weather conditions across the district.
“The Manawatū-Whanganui district has experienced a lot of rain recently which has reduced the wildfire risk”
Whilst the return to open fire season means permits are no longer required, Fire and Emergency New Zealand are to urging people to be responsible. Dravitzki noted that people across the district should still check their local weather conditions before lighting an open-air fire.
“The easiest way to do this is to go to www.checkitsalright.nz, where you can see the current fire danger and wildfire risk”
The message from FENZ remains the same – If it’s hot and windy, do not light a fire. If conditions are favorable and you do light one, never leave it unsupervised.
Wanting to light an open-air fire? Head to www.checkitsalright.nz for all the local infomantion.
