All of the Northland Fire District will enter a prohibited fire season at 8am today (Friday 11 March).

A prohibited fire season means lighting any open-air fires is not allowed and all permits are suspended.

Northland District Manager Wipari Henwood says high winds and no rain in the District has been the deciding factor for this change.

"Northland’s weather forecast sees little to no rain for the next two weeks and, on top of that, a continuation of drying winds across all of the District," he says.

"Northland currently has five active wildfires that are contained but still burning in the middle and a history of significant fires at this time of the year," Wipari Henwood says.

"Our crews are also continuing to respond to other emergencies.

"As the surge of Omicron increases, we want to make sure we have full capability to respond to emergencies across Northland," he says.

"By mitigating and reducing the risk of wildfire spread across our communities with a prohibited fire season, we can continue to do that"

Wipari Henwood asks all communities in Northland to do their part in helping to reduce the risk of wildfire spread.

"Please hold off lighting your fires until the weather conditions have changed and the risk of wildfires has minimised," he says.

One spark is all it takes to start a devastating wildfire.

For more information and fire safety tips head to www.checkitsalright.nz.

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