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The Mackenzie Basin is "primed and ready to burn" and the most challenging wildfire conditions since 2008 are forecast into the weekend.
That is the message from Fire and Emergency New Zealand incident controller Rob Hands, who is asking residents to act now and reduce the fire risk on their own properties.
Fenz has set up an incident management team in Twizel, anticipating very high fire danger in the Mackenzie Basin for the next four days because of forecast hot, dry and windy conditions.
Having the team pre-positioned in Twizel will ensure immediate support for local brigades in the event of a fire.
Other steps include doubling the number of fire trucks and crews automatically sent to any vegetation fire in the Mackenzie Basin.
Two helicopters and monsoon buckets will be on stand-by for the next three afternoons, when the fire danger is at its highest.
Last night, four teams were scheduled to go door to door in Manuka Tce — the site of a vegetation fire on Sunday — to talk to those residents about their fire risk.
Mr Hands is asking everyone living in Twizel to be aware of the high fire danger, and to take simple steps to make their own property easier to defend against fire.
"Taking these steps now to protect your property from attack by fire will go a long way to helping our firefighters if a fire does break out," he said.
Ways to reduce fire risk
- Clear flammable material from 10m around homes and buildings.
- Move firewood stacked against houses.
- Clear gutters of dried leaves etc that will easily catch fire.
- Clear flammable material from under decks.
- Trim trees and bushes and remove the trimmings.
- Keep grass short.