Readiness: Get prepared to respond to wildfires
This page provides wildfire readiness messages.
Make and practise your emergency plan, have a grab bag and emergency supplies.
Always check whether it’s safe to light a fire and if you’ll need a fire permit at checkitsalright.nz.
Practise good fire safety when doing anything that could cause a spark.
Plan your escape route. When planning your route, you won’t always know what direction the fire is coming from. It’s important to have more than one way out.
Identify a safe zone that is clear of vegetation in case you can’t evacuate and have to shelter in place. You may need to shelter in place on your property or in your community. A safe zone might be somewhere that has:
- large areas of concrete,
- well-maintained short grass, or
- large volumes of water.
Know how you will stay informed. Emergency services will always try to alert you to an approaching wildfire. But there may not be time to issue an official warning.
Be aware of what is happening in your area. Particularly if you see or smell smoke on a hot or windy day, because fire can move very quickly.