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Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) banned fireworks in Akaroa, the Christchurch coast and Port Hills after crews were called in for two more suspicious fires.
The latest fires were reported near Sumner shortly after 2 a.m. Wednesday.
A spokesman said that two small fires of no more than 25 square meters were extinguished in 30 minutes.
Stacy Squires / Stuff
Area Commander Dave Stackhouse at the scene of Friday’s fire.
Both were believed to be suspects, although the cause was not yet clear. There was no damage to houses or property, and there were no injuries.
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Christchurch area commander Dave Stackhouse said Fenz was banning the use of fireworks under section 52 of the Fire and Emergency Act, which allowed him to restrict activities that could start or spread a fire.
Stacy Squires / Stuff
Area Commander Dave Stackhouse shows areas where fireworks were prohibited.
The ban, which included Akaroa, Bottle Lake, New Brighton and Port Hills, would take effect as of 6 p.m. Wednesday.
“These are all high risk areas and what we saw on Friday night was completely unnecessary and avoidable,” he said.
Friday’s fire, which devastated 25 hectares in Port Hills, was caused by two young men playing with fireworks.
Stackhouse said firefighters were working with police, but it was too early to say whether charges would be filed.
“The use of fireworks should be completely out of the question, and we will look down on anyone using them while this ban is in effect.”
JOSEPH JOHNSON / THINGS
Firefighters and helicopter rain bucket crews worked to contain a fire in Christchurch’s Port Hills on Tuesday.
He urged everyone living around Port Hills, Akaroa or Bottle Lake to call 111 if they saw or heard fireworks or anything suspicious.
This is the first time fireworks have been banned in Christchurch since the new legislation was published in 2017. They were previously banned for brief periods in Nelson and Northland.
Stackhouse said Fenz would work with police to enforce the ban. Anyone breaking the rules could face up to two years in prison or a $ 300,000 fine.
“We are not trying to take the fun out of people in the New Year, but we want people to consider each other and their property.”
The ban would be revised in the new year.
Stacy Squires / Stuff
A helicopter drops water on a brush fire in Port Hills in Christchurch on Tuesday.
Firefighters were on high alert given the recent spate of fires and ongoing high temperatures.
Stackouse said there had been 10 suspicious fires in the past week and a half, but he didn’t believe a pushpin was plaguing the city.
“We are in the process of analyzing all of them individually, looking for causes of ignition and any links.”
Crews were using a drone to search Port Hills for hot spots Wednesday morning, following a fire caused by a spark from a grinder Tuesday.
The fire on Galilee Ln, Clifton, forced the evacuation of 16 homes on Revelation Drive, Galilee Ln and Bayview Rd.
Joseph Johnson / Stuff
Firefighters and helicopters with monsoon buckets work to contain a brush fire in Clifton, Christchurch on Tuesday.
Eight fire trucks, two water tankers, four helicopters and a command unit helped contain the fire, which spread over some 16 hectares of grass and gorse.
Stackhouse said the fire was accidentally caused by a construction crew using a nearby grinder.
Tuesday’s fire followed another in nearby Hillsborough on Friday night, which consumed about 20ha and forced a dozen residents from their homes. Stackhouse confirmed that the fire was caused by fireworks.
Canterbury would go into a restricted fire season starting at midnight Wednesday, meaning permits may be required to start a fire outside.
Christchurch peaked at 27 degrees Celsius on Wednesday and will be hot again on Saturday, when it is expected to reach 29 degrees Celsius.
