Pigeon Valley and Nelson city fires: Updated public health advice
The greatest risk is to those in the path of the fire, who must follow the directions of emergency service representatives for their immediate safety.
For those closest to the fire, smoke from the fire may irritate the eyes, nose, throat and airways. These symptoms should quickly pass after you remove yourself from the smoke, with no long-term consequences.
Advice for people with asthma, bronchitis, emphysema or other lung disease are at greatest risk from smoke inhalation. People with angina or other heart disease might also be at greater risk.
People with these conditions should avoid exposure to smoke if possible. If you have any of these conditions and you are being exposed to smoke you should:
* remain indoors
* close all the windows and doors
* turn off ventilation, air conditioning and heating systems that draw in air from outside until the plume has dispersed or moved away, and you can no longer smell smoke.
Most heat pumps will not bring air in from outside when in cooling mode. Check the user manual for more details. Heat pumps and ventilation systems with a HEPA filter can be left on, as the filter will remove most smoke particles.
If you start to develop symptoms, use the medicines prescribed to you by your doctor.
If your symptoms worsen and do not respond to their usual measures, call your General Practice or Healthline 0800 611 116. If you experience breathlessness or chest pain, call 111.
Advice for everyone
In healthy people, most symptoms will disappear soon after the exposure to smoke has ended, without any long-term consequences.
People should avoid exercising outdoors while smoke is present.
Dust masks available from hardware stores will only screen out the largest smoke particles, so are unlikely to provide much protection.
If you are on a roof water supply and a lot of ash is falling on your roof, it might be best to disconnect the pipe to the tank, and only reconnect it after the next heavy rain (discarding the ‘first flush’), to avoid getting ash in your water supply.
Please follow the instructions of the emergency service representatives, and keep up to date via the Nelson Tasman Civil Defence website and Facebook pages (links below). Turn on a radio and keep it tuned to news of the fire, or keep a news live feed open on your computer.
Please look out for your neighbours, especially the elderly, those in ill-health, and those who live alone.
If you can, get a break away from the smoke by relocating to an area unaffected by the smoke plume.
Stress and anxiety
Anxiety is very common during an emergency event such as an uncontrolled fire. This is a normal response to a very stressful situation. Talking to people and helping others can be both therapeutic and useful.
If you need further support for yourself or for others, call your general practice or Healthline on 0800 611 116.
Anyone who has immediate concerns for their safety should call 111.
⚠️ 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 ❤️
Wander more, worry less
Few things in life are as enriching as the thrill of travel or the camaraderie among friends. At Ryman’s Bert Sutcliffe Village in Auckland, a group of intrepid travellers have combined the two.
It all began when Bert Sutcliffe Village resident Marie began arranging evenings at the theatre for her neighbours. The theatre enthusiasts soon became close friends and as their friendships developed so did their adventures, expanding their horizons to include long lunches, winery tours, group dinners and adventurous holidays in New Zealand and overseas.
Click read more for the full story.
Light up your life
The Karen Walker Paints collection from Resene will see you sprucing up your home in style with this simple but fun project using your favourite Karen Walker testpot colours. Find out how to create your own with these easy step by step instructions.
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