Mangatangi Volunteer Fire Brigade

01/09/2026

Having a home escape plan can double your chances of surviving a house fire. 🚨

Take 5 minutes tonight to run through these 3 essentials with your household:

Install working smoke alarms in every bedroom, living area, and hallway.

Plan TWO ways out of every room (doors or windows).

Agree on a safe meeting place outside (like the letterbox or a specific tree).

Test your plan—seconds count when it matters most! 🏠🔥

23/08/2026

𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄 𝐄𝐌𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐒

Heading away soon? Don't let hidden embers ruin your trip! 🔥✈️

Whether you're chasing winter snow or tropical sunshine, make sure your home is safe before you leave. Fireplace and fire pit ashes retain heat for 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 longer than you think.

Pre-departure Safety Step: Ensure all ashes are transferred from the fire into a metal container, completely cold to the touch and cleared away from timber, decks, dry leaves, and fire-prone materials. This is what can happen if you don't...

16/08/2026

𝗦𝗠𝗢𝗞𝗘 𝗔𝗟𝗔𝗥𝗠𝗦
Did you know your smoke alarm needs a dust-off, not just a test run? 🧹💨

Testing your alarm regularly is only half the battle! Dust and cobwebs can block sensors and cause false alarms (or worse, stop them from going off when it matters most).

A few seconds of maintenance could save your life!

Speaking of smoke alarms, please get in touch with us if you need help checking or installing your smoke alarm, we'd much prefer to help prevent a fire than attend one👍🚒🔥

08/08/2026

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝗕𝗘 𝗗𝗿𝘆 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗘𝘅𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘂𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗿—𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀. 🧯

Highly versatile, dry powder extinguishers quickly knock down fires involving:
✅ Class A: Solids (wood, paper, cardboard)
✅ Class B: Flammable liquids (petrol, oil, paint and other solvents)
✅ Class E: Electrical gear (live electronics, fuse boxes)

🚫 Where NOT to use it: Deep-fat fryers or kitchen oil pan fires. Using powder on boiling oil is ineffective and extremely dangerous.

🎥 Watch this quick video demonstration to learn the correct way to use one!

Thankfully, most people will never have to use a fire extinguisher....

07/08/2026

👨‍🚒🚒🔥C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S Craig Anderson!

The Mangatangi Volunteer Fire Brigade is so proud to announce that Craig has recently been named as our newest Station Officer.

He has been with our brigade for 21 years, so brings an incredible amount of knowledge and experience - and not only the Brigade, but everyone in our community benefits from that. His dedication and willingness to drop everything when the call outs happen are so appreciated, so thank you Craig and congratulations once again ❤️

04/08/2026

Brrrrr! 🥶 Have you been checking the weather forecast or are already feeling the cold? Chances are there will be many fires and heaters cranking in lots of households over the next few days!

This is a reminder to keep a one metre clearance around your heater or fireplace. Soft furnishings such as blankets, clothes, beds and couches don’t need to be touching a heat source to catch fire, if they are too close, they will burn!

Hot tip: If you’re unsure, measure it. Remind yourself how big a metre is because ‘she’ll be right’ won’t cut it!

01/08/2026

Our call out summary for July, another quiet month which we love! But remember never to hesitate to call 111 if needed, we are always here to help 🚒

25/07/2026

REMEMBER: A CLEAN DRYER AVOIDS FIRE
That lint in your dryer’s filter? It’s a fire waiting to happen. Remove it before every use to remove the risk.

Also check the following when using your dryer:
- The dryer isn’t overloaded.
- There is space around the dryer to allow for proper venting.
- Ensure the dryer goes through the full cycle, including cool down, before you open it.
- You have a working smoke alarm close by the dryer

Every year about 54 fires are caused by clothes dryers, make sure you take the time to ensure your dryer does not cause one of these!

18/07/2026

Thinking of lighting your burn pile? Please make note of the following to ensure your safety and avoid unnecessary 111 calls:

1. Go to www.checkitsalright.nz to ensure it is safe to light your fire.
2. Notify us of the burn - a quick direct message is fine!
3. Check the weather forecast, especially for wind
4. Light your fire in the morning (it is surprising how large a small fire can look against a dark sky!)
5. Have water on hand
6. Regularly check your burn pile for at least 5 days after to check for hot spots
7. Never throw rubbish into a fire, particularly batteries, tyres, waste oil and other petroleum products and aerosol cans

However, if you are concerned about your burn pile, never hesitate to call 111, we are here to help.

12/07/2026

ELECTRIC BLANKETS
We bet that with these chilly nights and mornings, there will be many electric blankets being used in our community! If you are one of those making the most of the cosiness and warmth these wee gems offer, please take the time to read and action the following to minimise the risk of an electric blanket fire occurring:

- NEVER sleep with an electric blanket on
- ALWAYS turn electric blankets off before leaving the house
- LOOK for obvious damage, eg exposed wires, any worn patches or tears, controls not working, discolouration that could suggest heat damage, cord is not exposed, frayed or twisted
- CHECK for hot spots. Turn your blanket on high for 15 minutes, then turn it off and running your hand over it
- TEST electric blankets each winter with a certified electrician
- ROLL electric blankets to store. Do not fold