Fire warning for Hawke's Bay
Fire and Emergency New Zealand is asking Hawke’s Bay residents to hold off lighting fires and to check any historic burn sites are completely out with high winds expected over the weekend.
"Please don’t light fires when strong winds are forecast," says Fire and Emergency Principal Rural Fire Officer Trevor Mitchell.
"The winds can cause a fire to more easily spread and get out of control."
"Anyone who has lit a fire should also double check it is fully extinguished so the winds don’t reignite it," Trevor Mitchell says.
"Dig right down into the site, open it up and put some water on it to make sure it is absolutely out."
Trevor Mitchell says people need to be extra careful as we go into a windy period of the year, especially with unusually dry weather.
"We’ve had half the usual rainfall we’d expect over winter in the Hawke’s Bay and there’s still a lot of dry materials around from last summer - meaning there is more fuel for a fire to burn," he says.
"Check the weather forecasts and take the necessary precautions to prevent a fire getting out of control."
"If you need any advice, get in touch with the Hawke's Bay Area Office on 06 835 2114 or go to www.checkitsalright.nz.... You can find information on that website about how to reduce the risk of fire."
"If you're concerned about a fire, call 111."
Best way to use leftovers?
I'm sure you've got some excess ham at home or cold roast potatoes.
What are some of your favourite ways to use leftover food from Christmas day? Share 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 ❤️