Blog Archives

Helping Youth to Help Others

25/3/2013

A pilot project getting youth more involved with their communities is being celebrated in Rotorua.

Youth in Emergency Services (YES) is a Ministry of Youth Development project designed to create connections between young people and their communities.

This is the first of its kind in New Zealand.

The four-week pilot project, which finishes on April 7, includes 15 youth taking part in training sessions with different emergency services.

Each Saturday members of the group have a session with a different emergency service - including St John, the Fire Service and Rural Fire, Swift Water Rescue, Search and Rescue and Civil Defence.

After the month-long orientation experience, participants attend an overnight camp where they put their learning into practice through various emergency scenarios.

At the conclusion of the course, youth candidates will be supported to apply to join an emergency service volunteer programme of their choice.

The pilot project graduation will be held on April 7, at Tui Ridge Park from 1pm to 2pm.

Contact Julie Hill on julie.hill007@msd.govt.nz or (07) 921 8005 if you wish to attend.

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Scrub Fire at Lake Okareka

23/3/2013

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By posted by news@theboplive.net | Saturday, 23 March 2013

A scrub fire started in a gully near Lake Okareka this afternoon on a rural property.

Lake Okareka Volunteer Fire Force and Rotorua fire brigade were called to the fire which was 100 metres past Boyes Beach reserve on Millar Road.

Both appliances from Okareka station responded one of them being the rural tanker truck and one from Rotorua.

The cause of the fire is unknown.

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Firefighters Battle Remote Blaze

10/3/2013

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Firefighters are battling a scrub fire in a remote part of rural Waikato.

The fire broke out in an area of scrub and bush near Whakamaru, about 30km south of Tokoroa, yesterday afternoon.

Fire Service northern communications shift manager Jaron Phillips said a helicopter had to be called in yesterday because the fire was in a "pretty inaccessible" rural area.

"An aircraft actually had to guide fire appliances in late yesterday afternoon. You couldn't actually see it without the aid of an aircraft, so it took some time to locate," he said.

"It was attacked from the air, and we got tankers in there as well."

Rural firefighters had returned to the fire this morning.

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Fire Force Toast Glowing Record

9/3/2013

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They may have been late once or twice, but over 30 years of service the Lake Okareka Rural Fire Force has never missed a callout.

Chief fire officer Phil Muldoon said that's a pretty unique claim to have, especially for volunteer brigades, and it's something he's pretty proud of.

Even this summer - which has been one of the busiest in years - has seen the brigade turnout a full crew of volunteers to all the jobs, from scrub fires to car crashes.

So the crew are looking forward to getting their glad rags on and celebrating tonight with a firemen's ball at the Lake Okareka Community Hall.

Within the last week the crew have attended three separate incidents which have seen them spend 40 hours on the ground doing volunteer fire work, while all hold down full-time day jobs.

"It's been the busiest summer in years. It's so dry and at any sign of smoke we're getting turned out, and rightly so."

They're also one of the first to turn out to community events, from last night's Lynmore School gala to an open day at Te Amorangi Museum and helping out with dust issues at the recent Australasian pistol shooting competition. Mr Muldoon said the group were lucky that for most callouts they had more volunteers than they needed turn up, from their dedicated group of 14 volunteers.

"The other day for a 2am callout we had seven guys turn up for two seats."

He said they were fortunate to have a steady team of volunteers.

"We have had a few lean times but it's not that difficult to [attract and retain volunteers] if you make it interesting and varied and keep the training up."

Volunteers don't work on rostered shifts - instead it's just up to whoever is available to turn out.

"It's proven itself to work."

The volunteers reckon understanding employers and families are the key to being able to stay in the role.

New recruit Adam McHugh said the rural fire force was a great way to meet people being new to the community while fellow firefighter Blair Gilbert said as well as the excitement of fires and sirens, it was a great way of giving back to the community.

And despite the celebrations tonight, there's no rest for the volunteers. Proving their commitment, they have had enough people to crew the trucks volunteer not to drink so they can be on call if they get a callout.

"We'll be the best dressed firemen there [if there is a callout]," Mr Muldoon said.

Tickets will be available at the door from 7.30pm. They cost $50 for a double or $30 for a single.

By Rebecca Malcolm

CHEERS: Lake Okareka Rural Fire Force deputy chief Ray Doyle (front) with fellow firefighters (from left) Adam McHugh (in truck), Phil Muldoon, Blair Gilbert and Stu Lyall

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Cigarette Butt Could Have Started Blaze

5/3/2013

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Rotorua firefighters spent more than five hours putting out a scrub fire, which could have been caused by a cigarette butt.

Rotorua Fire Service senior station officer Joe Pope said crews were called out to Ngakuru about 1.30am this morning.

He said crews spent about five and a half hours battling a scrub fire in a roadside verge. He said the fire was about 400m by 50m.

No houses were in danger of the fire.

Two water pumps and a water tanker was needed to put out the blaze.

Mr Pope said the fire could have been started by one of two things, either a cigarette butt being thrown out of a car window or an electric fence.

He said the incident served as a reminder to people to take extreme care in the dry conditions because fires are more easily lit.

Despite the light rain in Rotorua today, Mr Pope said the city would need about a week of constant rain for the fire risk to reduce.

He said people needed to remain vigilant and adhere to the fire ban.

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Chopper on Daily Forest Fire Alert

5/3/2013

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A decision on whether Rotorua is to be declared a drought zone is expected tomorrow or Thursday.

A spokesman from Agriculture Minister Nathan Guy's office said the minister was expected to make an announcement about whether to extend the drought zone from the Waikato to include the Hawkes Bay and possibly Rotorua.

Rotorua/Taupo Federated Farmers president Neil Heather told The Daily Post farmers were in a desperate situation and needed the Government to declare a medium drought in the region.

Many were culling stock with some sheep and beef farmers unable to get their stock culled at the meat works because of demand. Many were looking at having to re-grass their entire farms because of the damage caused by the long hot dry period, Mr Heather said.

"The grass isn't just drying off - it's dying. Something needs to be done."

He has sent his stock to Gisborne for grazing and is feeding out his winter supplies and ordering in maize to keep what stock he is keeping going.

This will cut into profits considerably, he said.

Meanwhile, Rotorua's worsening dry conditions has forced a local forest management company to put a helicopter and pilot on standby in case another bush fire breaks out.

More than a milk tanker and trailer load of water was dropped from the air to help douse a fire at Waiotapu on Friday.

Heli Resources helicopter pilot Jim Shewan dropped more than 70 monsoon buckets of water on the blaze which covered about 1ha of bush at Waiotapu, about 30kms south of Rotorua. Each monsoon carries about 400 litres of water.

Mr Shewan, who has been a pilot for about 40 years, said the fire, which forced the evacuation of about 25 people from the nearby thermal wonderland, didn't cover a large area of land but required a bit of work on the ground and in the air to put out.

He dropped about 28,000 litres of water from nearby Echo Lake onto the smouldering blaze.

"It was quite contained but hard to get under control ... it was very hot and there were a lot of dry logs and deep moss on the ground. There was a lot there to burn that wasn't first apparent," he said.

Using a monsoon bucket is second nature to the helicopter pilot.

"It's like riding a bike - easy."

Mr Shewan said he had fought many fires throughout his years - many "bigger ones" in the South Island.

"There is always a lot of smoke making visibility bad. I try and stay as much upwind of the fire as I can to stay clear."

Already this year he has been called four times to deal with fire.

Given the current dry conditions, he and his chopper are on standby daily at Timberlands Fire Station at Rainbow Mountain in case another blaze breaks out in the forest.

He arrives about 1pm daily waiting the day out.

"She's pretty dry and hot out there at the moment," he said.

Timberlands staff are also on high alert with lookout towers manned in daylight hours and fire crews on standby.

Timberlands fire and security manager Evan Rarere said the forest was tinder dry at present and they had already dealt with five fires this summer - three in Kaingaroa Forest.

Heli Resources pilot Jim Shewan is on standby to help fight any fires breaking out in the Kaingaroa Forest.

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Blaze Forces Evacuations at Rotorua Attraction

3/3/2013

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Twenty-five people were evacuated from Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland as a bush fire ripped through nearby shrub.

Fire services staff said it took between two and three hours to control the blaze, which destroyed at least 2ha of bush.

The fire started next to the hot and cold stream on Waiotapu Loop Rd at about 1.45pm yesterday, close to the attraction's visitor centre.

Staff said they saw flames leap well above the trees only 100m away from the carpark.

One staff member is reported to have sprinted around all the walking tracks raising the alarm during the evacuation of the public.

No one was injured in the blaze, which was attended by more than 40 firefighters.

An investigation is being held to find the cause of the fire.

Thermal Wonderland groundsman Martin Pearce said the fire got out of control quickly.

He said he went down to the hot and cold stream about 1.50pm to see where all the smoke was coming from and saw fire shooting up the embankment opposite the road.

"It was so fast. It shot right up the trees and bush."

He said there had been a busload of tourists swimming at the hot and cold stream before the fire started.

Wai-O-Tapu manager Alex Leinhardt said his house must have come close to being burned down.

He said this was the first bush fire staff had seen in the area during the summer.

Richard Horn, Rotorua District Council's deputy principal rural fire officer, said fire crews had been supported by two helicopters from Murupara.

Firefighters had come from all over to help battle the blaze, working well into the evening to get everything under control.

Mr Horn said one fire crew was to remain in the area overnight, with 30 firefighters expected to come and dampen hotspots for most of today.

Mr Horn said the police cordon, which blocked entry to Waiotapu Loop Rd, was lifted yesterday evening but a small section of the road would stay blocked today.

When The Daily Post arrived at the scene a big group of locals was standing outside the Waiotapu Tavern talking about the fire.

One family was in tears as they waited anxiously to hear news of their property.

Another man said he had just come from Waikite Valley and could see the smoke from there.

A total fire ban remains in the area.

FIRE STORM: Flames ripped through the dry bush next to Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland quickly, coming close to the visitor centre and the manager's house.

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