Firefighters battled a "petrol tanker'' fire yesterday afternoon in a quiet Oamaru street.
The fire was the last test of a combined training exercise day run by the Otago Rural Fire Authority and the Oamaru Fire Brigade.
About 30 firefighters from both services gathered at Awamoa Rd to work through decision-making, the use of GPS, the use of foam to extinguish a petrol fire, and other firefighting skills.
Fire Service training organiser Ivan Richards, of Dunedin, said the exercises were designed to test teamwork.
Deputy principal rural fire officer Jamie Cowan said the significant difference between the two services was that the urban brigade's focus was on structure fires, whereas the rural force's prime target was vegetation fires.
"Today's about trying to work on cohesion between the two fire services and make sure we're speaking the same language. Yes, we cross over a lot, but we do have different skills.''
He said the joint exercise was also about preparing for how the Fire Service may operate in future.
"Currently, the New Zealand fire services are under review and it's the intention of the review to amalgamate the fire services, so such meetings we're carrying out today keep us working together and prepares us for where we're heading,'' Mr Cowan said.
