Farmers urged to prepare as summer wildfire risk rises

Reading Time: 3 minutes With experts predicting an increased risk of wildfires across many regions this summer, a series of workshops is being held to help landowners develop practical fire risk management strategies. Organised through a partnership between New Zealand Forest Service, Lincoln University, Auckland University, and Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ), the workshops will provide access to wildfire preparedness advice.

“There’s no single fire mitigation tool that will work in every situation,” said fire ecologist Tim Curran, Associate Professor at Lincoln University, who will be among those presenting at the events.

“To effectively manage wildfire risk, it’s best to deploy a range of tools and approaches, all chosen with your specific area in mind, because some that might work in certain areas may work less well in others.”

Simple things include storing flammable materials such as firewood, gas bottles and petrol cans at least 10 metres away from the house or other structures, removing debris like leaves or twigs from under decks, and making sure firefighting vehicles have full access to a property with clear driveways that are 4m wide and have clearance of 4m in height.

“Having a sprinkler system that can be activated to water the outside of a building if you have to evacuate obviously costs a bit more but can be very effective in terms of reducing property flammability,” said Curran.

One key aspect of wildfire preparedness is working as a community, he said: “Wildfires burn across property and territorial boundaries, so being prepared involves working to reduce risks with neighbours.”

Tim Curran’s research includes investigating plant flammability, and his work has been used to assist in wildfire risk reduction in New Zealand, Australia and New Caledonia.

Curran’s research includes investigating plant flammability. His work has been used to assist in wildfire risk reduction not just in this country, but also in Australia and New Caledonia. He’s also helped FENZ compile a publicly available resource in the form of a directory of flammability for over 400 species of native and exotic plants found in Aotearoa.

“People can use this to look up the flammability of the plants they may have on their properties, or are considering putting in” he said.

Mānuka, kānuka, and tussocks are among those that have relatively high flammability, he said. Low-flammability plants include coprosma, five-finger and griselinia.

“With any plants that have higher flammability we’re not saying don’t use them, just be aware of the risk, think about where you plant them, and how you could mitigate any risks associated with them.”

Curran has been working on a study called Fighting Fire with Food, which has involved surveying the flammability of a wide range of crops and pasture species grown throughout New Zealand.

Associate Professor at Lincoln University Tim Curran will be among those presenting at the workshops.

“Ten percent of all fires globally occur on agricultural land, and when they do, they cause damage to crops, rural infrastructure, and also to native vegetation,” he said.

“We’re identifying the sorts of crops we could plant that would potentially decrease the risk of wildfires in agricultural landscapes. Cereal crops like wheats and oats that brown off later in their life cycle and retain a lot of dead material have a relatively high flammability. Surprisingly, so too do some of the fruit crops we tested, like pears and apples.

“Again, we’re not saying don’t plant them – it’s just a case of understanding these species so that management can be put in place, such as irrigation, or strategic planting with green firebreaks of low flammability plants.”

The Fighting Fire with Food study found a range of crops, and pastures including fodder beet, kale and clover, are among some of the very low-flammability species.

“There’re a whole host of crops, pastures, and native plants that farmers could use in their planting toolbox if they’re in particularly fire-prone areas and they’re concerned about how fire might spread,” said Curran.

The first of the eight workshops will take place in North Canterbury at Omihi Community Hall, on October 21, followed by Renwick Sports and Events Centre in Marlborough, on October 22. Others will follow later this year. For more information visit canopy.govt.nz/events

Leaflets will also be available later this year through MPI to provide information for landowners and managers keen to reduce wildfire risk.

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