Emergency planning in rural areas
The longer it takes fire crew to get their trucks and equipment to your house, the longer it will take to put out the fire. Making sure your driveway has a clear 4 x 4-meter entrance helps crews. Photo: Fire and Emergency New Zealand.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand
If your home is in a rural area, you’re more likely to have a longer response time from Fire and Emergency New Zealand, as they have to travel further to reach you if needed. So, it’s really important to make sure you do everything you can to protect your family property from possible fires and help firefighters when they arrive.
The longer it takes fire crew to get their trucks and equipment to your house, the longer it will take to put out the fire. You can help them by making sure: There’s suitable access to your home for emergency services, and your driveway has a clear 4 x 4-meter entrance. Your property is clearly signposted with your Rural Addresses Property Identification (RAPID) number. There’s an adequate water supply near the structures for firefighters to use. There’s space for portable pumps to be positioned within 7 metres of the water supply, with access into the supply.
Always go to checkitsalright.nz before lighting an outdoor fire such as a burn pile. The website can tell you what the fire season currently is in your area – whether open, restricted or prohibited. If it’s restricted, you will need a permit before lighting a fire, which you can apply for on the site. You must follow the conditions set out in the permit. Always check the local fire danger level before you light – you need to be extremely careful if the fire danger level is Very High or Extreme.
If it’s hot and windy, consider postponing your fire. Notify your neighbours in advance including how long the burn may go for, and your contact details. Keep a method to extinguish nearby – have what you need to contain and extinguish the fire, such as a water hose, water sprayer, shovel and dirt to smother, or a mechanical digger. Extinguish it completely once your materials have been burned and keep checking on it in the days and weeks after your burn, looking for embers, smouldering, smoke, or heat to make sure the fire is completely out.
Some farms may require an evacuation scheme due to their size – i.e., if it has buildings where 100 or more people can gather together, where 10 or more people work, where six or more people sleep, and/or particular types of hazardous substances are stored. More information on evacuation plans and burn piles is available on the Fire and Emergency New Zealand website.