New Zealand / Emergency Services

Twizel residents urged to get savvy on wildfire risk

14:58 pm on 16 January 2024

A Fire and Emergency Incident Control team have set up in Mid-South Canterbury due to the high fire risk in the area. File pic Photo: Paloma Migone

Residents near Twizel are being encouraged to create a neighbourhood plan to help reduce the risk of wildfires.

Last week a Fire and Emergency incident controller warned that the Mackenzie Basin area was facing the most challenging wildfire conditions since 2008.

Earlier this month, a grass fire at Manuka Terrace threatened houses and covered more than a kilometre before it was contained.

There were extreme concerns about the wildfire risk in the area over the weekend due to hot, dry and windy conditions.

It prompted a community meeting last week to discuss the risk, which more than 75 Twizel residents attended.

Twizel fire chief officer Simon Fox said another meeting has been set up for Manuka Terrace residents at the Twizel fire station on Thursday from 6pm-8pm and it would be live-streamed.

People could help to reduce the risk on their own properties and should have an evacuation plan that was clear about what to do and where people should go, he said.

Meetings for other neighbourhoods and nearby subdivisions will be held in the future.