Fire Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) acting deputy chief executive service delivery operations Ken Cooper told the Invercargill District Court on Thursday that the offender, named as Ashleigh Fulton, pleaded guilty to allowing a fire to be lit by another person during a total fire ban.
Less than 160mm of rain had fallen in the Southland province since February 1, 2022, and Fenz declared a total fire ban over the province on March 29.
On April 2, 2022, flames fuelled by 65kmh winds erupted 20m into the air and consumed more than 1350ha over a 24km perimeter of the internationally significant protected Awarua Wetlands conservation area.
It took numerous Fenz ground crews from Otago and Southland, assisted by nine helicopters, bulldozers, graders and drones with thermal cameras, almost a week to gain control of the burning peat and manuka scrub.
"On 23 January this year two other offenders were sentenced for offences relating to the 2022 Awarua Wetlands fire including lighting a fire during a prohibited fire season and allowing fire to get out of control and spread," Mr Cooper said.
"[Thursday’s] sentence was handed down to the third and last of the three, all of whom had pleaded guilty to offences relating to the Awarua Wetlands fire."
The offender was convicted and discharged.
"Most people comply with the requirements, but clear breaches of fire safety legislation carry penalties."
It was essential fires were not lit during prohibited or restricted fire seasons without a fire permit, and to check the weather conditions.
"Given the significance of the impact of the Awarua Wetlands fire, and the fact the area was under a total fire ban, we considered it appropriate to prosecute three individuals for the fire."
The Awarua blaze was ranked the second-largest fire in New Zealand for the 2021-22 season and cost $1,559,266 to extinguish.
While fire risk was higher during summer, Fenz urged those considering lighting an outdoors fire at any time of the year to check the local fire danger and fire season at www.checkitsalright.nz.
The other two offenders who were sentenced in January received harsher penalties.
One offender was sentenced to seven months’ home detention, and to pay reparations of $10,000, and the other was sentenced to 200 hours’ community work and 12 months’ supervision, and reparations of $10,000.
— APL
