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It was a busy night for Fire and Emergency New Zealand as Guy Fawkes antics prompted multiple callouts from across the Franklin and Waikato regions.
Vegetation and tree fires were among the most common reasons for Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) attending, along with sections of houses catching on fire.
FENZ told the Franklin Times that just after 9pm in Karioitahi, a ceiling fire prompted three fire appliances and one water tanker to attend to the hotspot in the house.
Crews from Papakura attended to a local grass fire spanning 20 by 30 metres. Two appliances attended and remained at the scene from 9.25-10.25pm.
FENZ crews also attended to properties where trees were on fire just before 9pm, in Cambridge and Te Kūiti.
Meanwhile, crew of the Auckland Westpac Rescue Helicopter sent their rapid response vehicle to Randwick Park at 9.35pm to attend to a patient suffering injuries from fireworks.
The person was treated at the scene and was in a moderate condition.
A FENZ spokesperson told the Franklin Times that crews responded to 26 fireworks-related callouts across Waitemata, Auckland Counties Manukau and Waikato Districts.
“The majority of these were small vegetation fires, with one fire in a roof in Tuakau around 8.40pm. This was probably the most serious callout as it caused significant damage to the roof of the home.
“Across New Zealand we saw more than 60 fireworks-related callouts.
“The fires at these incidents put communities at risk and create an additional workload for our firefighters. Being prepared and taking some simple precautions can easily reduce the number of fireworks related incidents we go to,” the spokesperson said.
It comes as New Zealand First this week introduced a Member’s Bill to ban the public sale and use of fireworks, saying the harm and disruption caused each year far outweigh any benefits.
Party leader Winston Peters says the proposed Fireworks Prohibition Legislation Bill would end the retail sale, manufacture, and importation of fireworks for personal use, while still allowing approved public displays to continue.
“The taxpayer should not be spending millions on something that drastically impacts pets, causes the inevitable fires, and causes havoc for our emergency services. Enough is enough,” Peters says.
“The abuse and misuse of fireworks has far outgrown any of the benefits. This is not about being ‘nanny state,’ this is about bringing some common sense into what a desperately needed conversation about the future of fireworks in our community is.”
He says the Bill responds to “predictable and preventable” costs for ACC and emergency services and seeks to stop the distress fireworks cause to animals and livestock.
