In August, ewes and their new lambs casually grazed pasture, unfazed by the large vegetation fire, a hundred acres strong, blazing just kilometres away. Stoked by the already parched land and strong nor 'west winds, firefighters from six Canterbury brigades—Culverden, Waikari, Hawarden, Hurunui, Waiau, and Rangiora— deployed to Karaka Road near the Hurunui River. The steep terrain required three helicopters to bring the fire under control.
Thankfully, no buildings or people were affected, this time. But in New Zealand, wildfires claim thousands of rural hectares every year. All it takes is a small spark—a mower blade hitting a rock or a car exhaust on long, dry grass—to lead to devastating outcomes.
People are responsible for starting the large majority of wildfires. More than half of the fires in 2023/4 occurred in the North Island, but the risk extends across the motu. Canterbury is no stranger to fires. Its stony alluvial soils are quickly wicked of moisture from nor ‘west winds. El Niño events are known for stronger westerly winds and drought events; and this year’s El Niño is described by meteorologists as ‘supercharged.’ The effects are predicted to be stronger and drier than previous events in recent memory.
Though the El Niño weather patterns create conditions for increased wildfire activity, there are things you can put into place to reduce your risk and protect your property.
An ounce of prevention
Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) is your go-to resource for prevention. Their extensive advice includes carrying fire extinguishers, shovels, or knapsack sprayers during high-fire danger periods; and avoid operating certain machinery when working in the field.
Around your home, to slow the spread of fire, they recommend creating a series of safety zones. (1)
The 10 metres around your house is zone one, recommendations include:
>> regularly mowing and watering your lawns
>> keeping gutters and decks clear of dry leaves and debris
>> removing flammable materials like firewood away from structures
>> growing low flammability plants, such as natives like Karamu, Taupata, and Kawakawa.
In Zone two, the 10 to 30 metres around your house, you want to:
>> prune trees, up to two metres off the ground and so they are not touching each other
>> perform regular maintenance to remove dry or dead debris
>> intersperse low flammability plants into your landscaping.
One of the best things you can have on hand is water. One way to enable firefighters to access water quickly is to have water stored in a tank outfitted with a firefighter kit.
Water on the ready
For properties on tank water, having enough water in the initial stages of fire suppression makes an enormous difference.
“To fight a house fire for one hour, you need a minimum of 45,000 litres of water,” says Ewen Ireland, PGG Wrightson Customer Service Representative.
Ewen is the go-to at PGG Wrightson’s Christchurch store for any questions on water, irrigation, and fittings.
“Depending on requirements and space, you may need two or more water tanks. These can be connected with a 100 mm balance pipe or, like Merv, have each tank equipped with an RXP firefighter kit.”
Required by council
While there is no national rule, many New Zealand councils have adopted SNZ PAS 4509:2008 or Firefighting Water Supplies Code of Practice.
“My customer, Merv Banks, was futureproofing for retirement, and decided to redraw his boundary lines. Christchurch City Council requires water tanks for the structures on the properties. This is true for new builds, too. To meet the requirements, he installed four new water tanks with firefighting kits,” explains Jen Kay, Rangiora based Technical Field Representative.
Each RXP tank can modified with a 100 mm connector fitting specifically designed to meet fire service requirements.
“There are a few things for owners to consider. The tank needs to be within 90 metres of your home, it must have the FENZ approved female coupling for the fire hoses, and you have enough
clearance to allow access for emergency vehicles,” explains Ewen.
Though existing properties are not currently required to have water tanks with firefighting kits, it is worth the conversation.
“It is better to be prepared and not need it, than to need it, and not have it,” says Jen.
(1) Protecting your property | Fire and Emergency New Zealand | www.fireandemergency.nz
