Ahipara fire highlights fire risks
Far North District Council is paying tribute to the magnificent work carried out by Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ) in tackling a very significant blaze at Ahipara Tuesday night.
Far North Mayor, John Carter QSO, says it was a very significant fire for the coastal settlement. “I would like to pay tribute to the outstanding work carried out by FENZ and the other emergency services. Without their intervention I shudder to think what might have happened. I also want to thank the many individuals and organisations in the area that provided a wonderful level of support to those in the community who were evacuated at the height of the emergency.”
Mayor Carter also has a strong fire safety message to visitors and residents alike: “It is so important that advice and instructions offered by FENZ is followed – to do otherwise is both foolhardy and dangerous. This fire was a warning to us. Fortunately, we've escaped without loss of life, loss of property or injury this time. Every resident and every visitor to Northland has a responsibility to make sure this sort of thing doesn't happen again. This has been a massive warning.”
A total fire ban has been in place for Whangārei and Kaipara since Thursday 24 December. The Far North remains in a restricted fire season meaning a permit is needed for all outdoor fires. However, fire permits are suspended in the area until further notice due to the weather conditions. For the latest details on where and when you can light a fire, go to the FENZ www.checkitsalright.nz... webpage.
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 ❤️