Although now may be the perfect time to clear rubbish from your property, Fire and Emergency NZ are asking you to not burn rubbish and garden waste until the lockdown is over. 

"I know we all want to get odd jobs done and clean up while we have more time at home, but please do not burn unnecessary fires such as household rubbish or garden waste. Hold off applying for a permit for an outdoor fire until the lockdown is over," says Steve Turek, Fire and Emergency National Manager Community Readiness and Recovery.

Lighting outdoor fires can generate 111 calls from the public, even if the fire is under control. At the moment, the only outdoor fires that are allowed to be lit need to be granted a permit beforehand, which will require a site visit by Fire and Emergency. 

"Fire and Emergency NZ is receiving lots of phone calls from people wanting fire permits. While we are under COVID-19 Alert Level 4 restrictions, we are unable to visit sites to review permit applications. We are understandably reluctant to put the public and our people at risk to conduct inspections, and there will be cases where we cannot grant permits at this time.”

So please hold off on bonfires and burning rubbish until after the lockdown so our local firefighters can focus on responding to emergencies.