Source: Fire and Emergency New Zealand
Fire and Emergency has suspended all fire permits in the Grey District due to the current water shortage and will not be issuing any new permits until there has been significant rainfall.
West Coast District Manager Myles Taylor said that fighting vegetation fires used large amounts of water, which would place additional pressure on local water supplies that were already depleted.
Contingency measures are already in place to ensure water is available for firefighting. Fire and Emergency has moved two additional water tankers to Greymouth and is looking at further proactive steps. A decision on moving the Grey District to a prohibited fire season will be made based on the long-term weather forecast.
“Our district leadership team is monitoring the situation closely,” Myles Taylor said. “We would like people to help us by being very careful about any activities that could spark a fire, and not to light any outdoor fires as conditions are very dry.”
