Crews called to avoidable fires

Fire crews have been called out to 21 vegetation fires around Southland in the past two months and with conditions drying out rapidly as the region moves into summer, the risk is rising. Fire and Emergency is reminding farmers and lifestylers to think ahead and take basic precautions before lighting fires. Southland community risk manager Delia Riley said that most of the vegetation fires in October and November were caused by planned land management activities like burning piles of slash or patches of gorse, but they escaped and set hedges or shelter belts alight. In two cases, nearby sheds also caught fire. In several other cases, fires had been lit in spite of forecast windy conditions, or had reignited. People should always consult www. checkitsalright.nz first to see whether there are any restrictions in place, and look at the weather forecast before reaching for the matches.