Fire Danger Warning

Your Fire Chief would like a word…

Last week a fire was lit in the base of an old pohutukawa tree on the side of the estuary. Thankfully, the Onemana Fire volunteers were able to put the blaze out, but the fire had the potential to spread to nearby houses. It remains to be seen if the grand old tree will survive the event.

With recent fires in Twizel and Lake Ōhau in mind Fire Chief Jo Adams has a message for all of us – please clear any scrub, weeds and trees that are near your homes. There’s been a lot of growth this year and a dry summer has been forecast, unfortunately a bad combination that elevates the fire risk.

As recommended by Fire & Emergency New Zealand on their website http://www.fireandemergency.nz :

• Prune tree branches to a height of 2 meters or more so ground fire can’t ignite them
• Remove all trees, long grass, shrubs and logs branches, twigs and needles within 10 meters of your house, as they are fuel for fire

The fire crew have noticed several properties in Opoutere with overgrown gardens and trees right up against houses. If you have any questions about this warning Jo Adams is happy to chat with you – call him on 0274493034

Please be vigilant this summer around the village, in the forest and along the beach – if you see something, say something. As Jo said about the recent fire at Opoutere “That tree didn’t light itself”.

Any sign of fire call 111 and Jo Adams (0274493034) straight away, we recommend that everyone has Jo’s mobile number in their phone.

Opoutere Community Hall Society AGM

This Saturday Sept 30th 1pm the new hall society is holding its AGM, please come along if you are interested in the future of the lovely Opoutere Hall. A lot of repair work has been done on the building by the new committee and it will be a good chance to hear what the plans are for the future. All financial members of the hall society are able to vote on matters at the AGM.

See you there!