An urgent message from Fire and Emergency New Zealand
A total fire ban is in place for Whangārei and Kaipara effective from 8am Thursday 24 December.
This means open air fires are not permitted across the Whangārei and Kaipara districts and all fire permits have been suspended.
The ban on private use of fireworks also remains in place in the Karikari peninsula and Ahipara township.
The Far North remains in a restricted fire season but fire permits are still suspended in the area until further notice due to the weather conditions.
Go to www.checkitsalright.nz... for more information.
"It’s very important people follow the fire ban and don’t light any outside fires or let off fireworks," says Principal Rural Fire Officer Myles Taylor.
"It’s too risky. In the current hot and dry conditions a stray ember or firework could easily start a fire which would quickly spread."
"It’s still very dry in the Far North but we are expecting some rain to come through the area over the next few days," says Myles Taylor.
"We will continue to monitor the conditions and fire danger level. Fire permits will be reinstated when it’s safe to do so and when there is less risk of a fire getting out of control.
"We need the people of Northland, and those planning a holiday in Northland, to do their part to prevent a wildfire this summer."
Go to www.checkitsalright.nz... for more tips on how you can reduce the risk of fire this summer.
Worst Xmas ever?
There's a a lot of planning that goes into Christmas day and sometimes things just don't go to plan. But it can be a good thing - a family mishap or hilarious memory that you can laugh about in Christmases to come.
Whether you burnt the dinner or were stranded at an airport...
Share your Christmas mishaps below!
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️