Mid-South Canterbury - Fire and Emergency

30/05/2026

👑Hear ye! Hear ye!👑

His majesty of fire risk has an announcement!

If you have been taking advantage of the low fire risk in the last couple of months and lit your burn piles, can you please pop out and give them a good check over. We don't want the incoming winds to ruin your long weekend, or ours 👨‍🚒

🟧🟨Severe Weather Warnings and Watches have been updated for Significant Heavy Rain and Northerly Gales ‼️🌧️🌬️

Valid for northern and western parts of the South Island from Sunday, then for Northland and Taranaki Maunga from Monday. ⏰

Tasman District northwest of Motueka has a moderate
chance of upgrading to a Red Warning ❗️

Impact: Streams and rivers may rise rapidly. Surface flooding, slips, and difficult driving conditions possible.

Details here
www.metservice.com/warnings/home

Severe Weather Outlook page
www.metservice.com/warnings/severe-weather-outlook

29/05/2026

29/05/2026

29/05/2026

🔥❄️ **Long Weekend + Winter = The Perfect Time to Get Fire Safe!** ❄️🔥

Got plans for the long weekend? Great! Got *no* plans for the long weekend? Even better! 😄

Between sleeping in, watching sport, tackling the mountain of washing, and pretending you'll finally clean out the garage, why not spend **10 minutes** making your home a little safer this winter?

✅ Test and clean your smoke alarms (they're working hard this weekend too!)
✅ Check your heater is clear of clothes, furniture, and curious pets - Keep a Meter form the Heater
✅ Clean out the fireplace ash and place it in a metal container add water and cool for up to 5 days
✅ Review your escape plan with the whānau (1st exit, alternative exit and a Safe Meeting Place)
✅ Check electric blankets for hot spots, as well as wear and tear before use
✅ Make sure chimneys and flues are clean and ready for winter

Winter is a busy time of year, and house fire is the last thing you need. The good news? Most can be prevented with a few simple checks.

Think of it this way: your smoke alarm only wants one thing for the long weekend... a fresh vacuum and a quick test. ❤️ (Check that 10 year expiry date too)

So while you're enjoying an extra day off, give your home a quick winter safety check. Future-you will thank you!

Stay warm, stay safe, and enjoy the long weekend from all of us at Fire and Emergency New Zealand. 🚒

28/05/2026

Police continue to work at the scene of last night’s fire in Mairehau.

We can now confirm that the child who died in the house fire was a three-year-old girl.

Four other children aged between 10 weeks and five-years-old, were admitted to hospital. The children are siblings of the deceased girl.

Three of the surviving children have been discharged and are in the care of family members. One child, a girl aged two-years-old, remains in hospital in a stable condition, with moderate injuries.

A 23-year-old woman, the mother of the children, is in a critical condition in hospital and sadly is not expected to survive her injuries.

The fire is not being treated as suspicious. Enquiries by Police, and Fire and Emergency New Zealand are ongoing, including a scene examination.

An increased presence will remain in the Whitehall Street area while enquiries continue.

This is a heartbreaking tragedy for the whānau, and Police extend our deepest sympathies as they navigate this devastating time.

28/05/2026

Tomorrow, between 12pm and 1pm, members of the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union will be stopping work for one hour.

We will continue to answer 111 fire calls. Volunteer stations in the affected cities and towns will respond, as they regularly do when there are multiple emergencies.

If you are at home, do not leave cooking unattended. Make sure you have working smoke alarms in every bedroom, hallway, and living area. If there is a fire, get out, stay out, and call 111.

If you are at work, know your building evacuation plan. If there is a fire or the fire alarm sounds, exit the building, assemble at your safe meeting place and call 111.

If you are on a job site that uses spark or heat generating tools, we ask you to refrain from using these tools during this hour.

It is important to acknowledge that this strike action will not affect the parts of the country served by our volunteers.

If you are unsure whether your area is affected, please visit https://shorturl.at/thoU5

26/05/2026

Tomorrow, between 4.30pm and 5.30pm, members of the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union will be stopping work for one hour.

We will continue to answer 111 fire calls. Volunteer stations in the affected cities and towns will respond, as they regularly do when there are multiple emergencies.

If you are at home, do not leave cooking unattended. Make sure you have working smoke alarms in every bedroom, hallway, and living area. If there is a fire, get out, stay out, and call 111.

If you are at work, know your building evacuation plan. If there is a fire or the fire alarm sounds, exit the building, assemble at your safe meeting place and call 111.

If you are on a job site that uses spark or heat generating tools, we ask you to refrain from using these tools during this hour.

It is important to acknowledge that this strike action will not affect the parts of the country served by our volunteers.

If you are unsure whether your area is affected, please visit https://shorturl.at/thoU5

13/05/2026

13/05/2026

The Co-moo-nity Risk Management team were out fixing a weather station in the Upper Rakaia district last Friday!

Leighton was showing the new members how the weather station works by recording Wind, Temperature, Soil Moisture, Rainfall and Humidity.

Rumour has it, that although Leighton spoke loudly enough, he may not have been herd......

Check out the station yourself at: https://fireweather.niwa.co.nz/region/Mid-South%20Canterbury/Upper%20Rakaia%20%28NW%29