|
Northland Field Days
|
Rural Fire Safety
Monday, 16 February 2009
The New Zealand Fire Service will be at the Field days with tips on fire safety. Fires aren’t noticed as quickly in sparsely populated areas and a combination of location, imperfect road conditions, and a lack of adequate water supply can delay quick intervention. Many of these rural dweller livelihoods could seriously be at risk if affected by fire.
Assistant Fire Region Commander (from the Northland Fire Region), Mike Lister, said those on the city fringes and living in a rural lifestyle face a higher risk of losing property from fire than their urban counterparts.
Some of the steps rural dwellers can take can equally be applied to our urban areas. These include:
• Keep the grass mown or grazed and leaves raked around your house.
• Have easy access to adequate water supply.
• Keep a garden hose connected and long enough to reach all parts of the house.
• Ensure the driveway has a minimum clearance of 4 metres width and 3 metres height and an adequate turn around area.
• Ensure your property is clearly signposted with your rapid rural property ID number, if applicable.
• Store firewood safely. Dispose of ash safely.
• Isolate flammable liquids.
• Maintain machinery and equipment.
• Plant only low flammability plants within 10 metres of your home.
• Install smoke alarms, develop and practice escape plans.
• Consider the installation of a domestic sprinkler system. It is now possible to protect a house with a automatic sprinkler system for approximately $5000.
REMEMBER, Fire Safety is your personal responsiblity.
|
|
|
|
