Waikari Valley fire evacuees can return home
Residents evacuated after fire tore through vegetation in North Canterbury’s Waikari Valley have been given the all-clear to return home, fire bosses confirmed.
Anna Engelbrecht said “it’s been a relief” to find their house unscathed after an intense evacuation late Sunday, complicated by her husband’s rare neuromuscular disease.
In the span of 30 minutes, he could be unable to move or breath, Anna said, and stressful situations made things worse.
“For me it was: I need to get him out, I need to get him out.”
The pair fled their house with flames on the horizon after a change in wind direction put them in danger.
Many in the community got little sleep overnight Sunday, and some were forced from their properties by the the blaze, which broke out about 8pm and spread over 300 hectares.
Five helicopters and 80 ground crews of firefighters battled the fire on Monday, when it was fanned by high winds, and fire authorities warned it will not likely be fully extinguished for several days.
On Monday afternoon, Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) assistant commander Des Irving said residents could now return home but implored them to “be vigilant” and encouraged them to use common sense in the dry and hot conditions.
He praised the way local residents had reacted to the blaze.
“They’ve been amazing, we’re really appreciative of the residents and their support.
“It is never easy to leave your home at short notice like these people had to do last night, but safety is always the priority.”
The cause of the fire is not yet known, but the source has been pinpointed, he said.
No livestock has been reported as lost, nor any structures lost or damaged.
Merry Christmas From Us to You!
Sending warm Christmas wishes to you and your family from all of us at Harcourts Four Seasons. May your holiday season be filled with joy and happiness!
🎄✨🎅
⚠️ DOGS DIE IN HOT CARS. If you love them, don't leave them. ⚠️
It's a message we share time and time again, and this year, we're calling on you to help us spread that message further.
Did you know that calls to SPCA about dogs left inside hot cars made up a whopping 11% of all welfare calls last summer? This is a completely preventable issue, and one which is causing hundreds of dogs (often loved pets) to suffer.
Here are some quick facts to share with the dog owners in your life:
👉 The temperature inside a car can heat to over 50°C in less than 15 minutes.
👉 Parking in the shade and cracking windows does little to help on a warm day. Dogs rely on panting to keep cool, which they can't do in a hot car.
👉 This puts dogs at a high risk of heatstroke - a serious condition for dogs, with a mortality rate between 39%-50%.
👉 It is an offence under the Animal Welfare Act to leave a dog in a hot vehicle if they are showing signs of heat stress. You can be fined, and prosecuted.
SPCA has created downloadable resources to help you spread the message even further. Posters, a flyer, and a social media tile can be downloaded from our website here: www.spca.nz...
We encourage you to use these - and ask your local businesses to display the posters if they can. Flyers can be kept in your car and handed out as needed.
This is a community problem, and one we cannot solve alone. Help us to prevent more tragedies this summer by sharing this post.
On behalf of the animals - thank you ❤️
Poll: Would you rather: Christmas in summer forever or winter forever?
Just a bit of a fun poll to get you thinking.
If you had to live out your Christmas days, would you prefer it was a summer Christmas or a winter Christmas?
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61.8% Summer
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36.7% Winter
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1.5% Other - I'll share below
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