Fire chief's warning after close call
Lincoln firefighters had to put out two burn piles on Ellesmere Rd. PHOTO: LINCOLN VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADE
A Canterbury fire chief is urging people to check the weather forecast before lighting a fire.A Canterbury fire chief is urging people to check the weather forecast before lighting a fire.
Richie Bee.
The Lincoln Volunteer Fire Brigade was called to a property on Ellesmere Rd near Ladbrooks at 2.47pm on Saturday to put out two burn-off piles after the property owner became concerned about increasing wind becoming an issue before nightfall.The Lincoln Volunteer Fire Brigade was called to a property on Ellesmere Rd near Ladbrooks at 2.47pm on Saturday to put out two burn-off piles after the property owner became concerned about increasing wind becoming an issue before nightfall.
While the fire was never out of control, firefighters spent about two and a half hours ensuring the piles were fully out.
Lincoln fire chief Richie Bee said the person did the right thing by calling for help, but it was a good reminder to check the weather forecast before lighting a fire.
“A bit of commonsense based on what the report was saying would have been ‘do I need to burn this today or is there a more appropriate time’,” Bee said.
He said sometimes people light fires without looking at the forecast when the weather is calm, like it was on Saturday morning.
He said it was about 50/50 the fire would have got out of control if it had been left.
“To be fair, the wind didn’t really eventuate to what was claimed through the weather reports.”
Selwyn currently has an open season for fires, but Bee urged anyone lighting one to use Fire and Emergency New Zealand’s online tool -
www.checkitsalright.nz
The tool evaluates what type of fire it is, where it is and when, recommending whether it is safe to light or if another day may be more suitable.
PHOTO: LINCOLN VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADE