Fire risk at Wither Hills Farm Park has been floating between moderate and high, but with high temperatures forecast, that could change rapidly. Photo: Ian Allen/Marlborough Express
Temperatures in the 30s this week could tip Blenheim's Wither Hills Farm Park into a closure as the risk of fire in the tinder-dry grass climbs.
MetService has forecast 33C for Friday, 31C for Saturday, and 30C for Sunday as a westerly flow brings scorching heat across the South Island.
Fire and Emergency NZ top of the south community risk manager Steve Trigg said the Wither Hills Farm Park, popular with walkers and cyclists, would dry out a lot over the next few days.
The drying out and browning of the grass, known as curing, had been slowed by rain around the start of the year, leaving it with a "green tinge", but that delay wouldn't last long, Trigg said.
"It doesn't really get a lot better, no matter how much rain we have, because it's still very dry, and under the ground it's dry as well.
"It's always highly likely that we will be talking to the council about closing the park, but I can't tell you when."
Fire and Emergency NZ regularly monitored fire risk at Wither Hills, but the decision to close the park lay with Marlborough District Council.
Trigg said Wither Hills was an "extremely volatile" area, and that closing it during peak fire season was the safest thing to do.
Photo: Braden Frastier/Nelson Mail
"We have to think about how can we be most effective as an organisation if we have to respond [to a fire]. And you don't have to be a rocket scientist to know that our job's going to be a lot easier if people aren't in the park," he said.
A council spokesperson said the council checked Fire and Emergency NZ fire indices daily during summer, and consulted with Fire and Emergency NZ directly when the risk became extreme.
"Any decision to close Wither Hills Farm Park is based on the indices, the fuel loadings, and the weather forecast," the spokesperson said.
"At this stage, the cooler temperatures and rain have kept the indices between medium and high. However, with forecast temperatures this week and no rain, that can change rapidly."
Trigg said monitoring grass curing was important because grass was the easiest ignition fuel in the South Marlborough fire district, which covered everything south of the Wairau River.
"Grassland [are] easy to ignite and fast to run. So it's really important that the community is really well prepared for grassland fire in South Marlborough," Trigg said.
Fire and Emergency also monitored conditions at places with larger fuel sources, such as conservation land and forestry, Trigg said.
"We've got probably close to 200,000 hectares of forestry in the top of the south. And forestry burns [are] a lot more volatile, just because of the way it's planted and the type of trees, than native forest."
South Marlborough was currently in a restricted fire season, meaning permits were required, but north of the Wairau River was still in an open fire season.
Trigg said anyone thinking about lighting a fire should check the fire conditions at www.checkitsalright.nz or the Fire Indices Map.
The Check It's Alright website also gave advice about activities that could inadvertently spark a fire, such as using machinery or mowing the lawn.
"You want to light a bonfire? You want to burn some rubbish at home? It'll tell you whether you can or can't, based on our fire season.
"There's information about pets and what to do, and how you prepare your home and how you prepare yourself for evacuation," he said.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.
