We Say, You Say: Fire Escape Plans
Hi Waikato,
Do you have a fire escape plan?
A fire that engulfed a house in Pokeno was found to have been caused by grass clippings catching alight on a lawnmower that was still hot from use.
Fire crews responded to the house fire on January 31, with four crews at the scene and another three dispatched.
Area Commander Geoff Purcell said that the occupants of the house were lucky to get out quickly. "This fire shows that fire can get very real, fast...It can take just three minutes for a fire to become deadly."
Share your thoughts below and please type NFP if you don't want your comments featured in your local community paper.
You can plan your fire escape at www.escapemyhouse.co.nz...
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Poll: Would you help your kids out with buying a home?
OPINION: Over the past year, I’ve had the same conversation with many Waikato families again and again.
A child has found a house. The market feels like it’s moving. There’s pressure to act quickly. And before anyone has really had time to think it through, parents are being asked to step in with cash, guarantees, or equity from their own home.
Would you help your kids out with buying a home? Tell us more in the comments (adding NFP if you don't want your words used in print).
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0% I already have.
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0% Yes.
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0% No
Share your favourite main crop potato recipe and win a copy of our mag!
Love potatoes? We will give away free copies of the May 2026 issue to readers whose potato recipes are used in our magazine. To be in the running, make sure you email your family's favourite way to enjoy potatoes: mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, by March 1, 2026.
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