Hurunui Volunteer Rural Fire Brigade

27/08/2026

Every year for the past 6+ years, we have held community meetings across Canterbury prior to the summer fire season. Usually we approach the communities and advertise our meetings, sometimes with success and sometimes not so successful.

This time though we thought we might try something a little bit different to kick off our preparedness sessions and ask you, the amazing people of Facebook and Instagram, where you think we should come and have a chat? What communities would like us to come educate them on the upcoming fire season and how to keep your properties safe?

We usually combine our sessions with speakers from Civil Defence and Police, to talk about evacuations and animal welfare during fires. Are there any other agencies you would like to hear from at these talks?

We want to hear your thoughts and ideas about how we can help you be fire safe this summer. So let us know below 👇

11/08/2026

Pretty cool moment for our Deputy Controller John Ranford and our brigade as he heads to the US as part of the 57 personnel deployed by Fire and Emergency NZ. Good luck John we wish you and the team all the best

Today a large contingent of firefighters deployed to the north-west of the United States of America to support the country’s wildfire response.

This Fire and Emergency New Zealand lead deployment is supported by our partner agencies. Of the 57 deployed personnel leaving this week, 43 are from Fire and Emergency, 4 from Department of Conservation, 5 from Forestry Companies and 5 from New Zealand Defence Force.

Each person has been chosen for their specialist skills, the firefighters are experienced working in arduous conditions, including steep terrain and high temperatures in remote areas. The team will be taking on multiple roles from firefighting, helibase managers, logistics, liaison officers and chainsaw specialists provided by DOC and Forestry.

Two other deployments are already on the ground in the US and Canada, with five Incident Management personnel working on fires in Washington State and Oregon and six in British Columbia.

Kia kaha to our people and our American whānau, you have our support ❤️

03/07/2026

🔥 𝐇𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫. 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐫. 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐫. 𝐈𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲? ☀️

Long-range forecasts indicate New Zealand is likely to experience El Niño weather conditions this summer. In Canterbury, that often means hotter, drier and windier weather—the perfect recipe for wildfires.

These conditions mean 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐞𝐫, 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥. A burn pile that would normally stay contained or a spark from machinery can quickly become a fast-moving vegetation fire.

The good news is there's plenty you can do now to reduce the risk.

✅ Mow or graze long grass around your home and sheds.
✅Remove dead vegetation, leaves and other flammable materials.
✅ Trim trees and shrubs so they're not touching buildings.
✅ Keep driveways and accessways clear for emergency vehicles.
✅ Think about how you would protect your family, pets and property if a wildfire threatened your area.

👇𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐫 𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐝𝐞:https://www.fireandemergency.nz/assets/Documents/Wildfire/FENZ-1427-Wildfire-Safer-Housing-Guide-FA_7.pdf

Wildfire preparedness isn't just about protecting your own property—it's about helping protect your neighbours, your community and the firefighters who respond when things go wrong.

Don't wait until the first hot nor'wester arrives. Take action now while the weather is still on your side.

Together, we can reduce the risk of wildfire this summer.

27/06/2026

Callout 11
29.05.26
Amberley
Veg
HURU0911, HURU0971, HURU0925, HURU0926 & Multiple other units
Burnoff spread into veg - MK Hurunui Rural

Callout 12
30.05.26
Amberley
Veg
HURU0911, HUR0971, HURU0925, HURU0926, AMBE481, AMBE4811, WAIP6111
Trees on fire - MK Hurunui Rural

Callout 13
02.06.26
Waipara
Veg
HURU0911, WAIP611, WAIP6111
Veg fire - MK Tankers 2

Callout 14
08.06.26
Spotswood
Mvc
HURU0911 & Multiple other units

Callout 15
20.06.26
Hawarden
Veg
HURU0911, HURU0971, HURU0925, HURU0926, AMBE4811, CULV6611, CULV667, HAWA491, HAWA4975, HAWA4926, RANG7614, WAIA6811, WAIA6871, WAIA6825, WAIK601, WAIK6026, WAIP611, WAIP6111
Forrestry fire - TX 4th Alarm - MK Helis 1

27/06/2026

Callout 1
11.01.26 - 11.39am
Broomfield
Veg
HURU0911, HURU0971, HURU0925, HURU0926 & Multiple other units
Fire on hillside - TX 2nd Alarm - MK Helo 2 - MK Tankers 3

Callout 2
11.01.26 - 04.39pm
Parnassus
Veg
HURU0911 & Multiple other units
Investigate fire on Hillside - MK Helo 2 - MK Tankers 2

Callout 3
11.01.26 - 05.16pm
Waiau
Stru
HURU0971, HURU0925, HURU0926 & Multiple other units
Shed fire and Grass fire - MK Helo 3 - MK RP 3

Callout 4
31.01.26
Hawarden
Veg
HURU0911, HAWA491, HAWA4975
Grass fire

Callout 5
24.02.26
Masons Flat
Veg
HURU0911, HURU0971, HURU0925, HURU0926, HAWA491, HAWA4975
Tree on fire

Callout 6
07.03.26
Culverden
Veg
HURU0911, HURU0971, CULV661, CULV6611, WAIA6871
Machine on fire threatening forest

Callout 7
13.03.26
Motunau
Veg
HURU0971, HURU0925 & Multiple other units
Scrub fire - MK Helis 2 - MK 4wd 2

Callout 8
30.04.26
Culverden
Veg
HURU0911, HURU0971, HURU0925, HURU0926 & Multiple other units
Hedge fire - Hurunui Rural Required

Callout 9
13.05.26
Masons Flat
Stru
HURU0911, HAWA491, WAIK601, HAWA4975, CULV6611
Garage fire - MK Tankers 2

Callout 10
27.05.26
Waikari
Veg
HURU0911, WAIK601
Stubble burn out of control

18/05/2026

On Saturday the team headed to Rolleston for the Canterbruy Wajax Competition held by the awesome team at Canterbury High Country Fire Team and what a day it was, the sun was shining and the lads had the pumps running hot, the effort from their trainings paid off in the end with the team bringing home 4 trophies in the open competiton (details below in the photos).

The team had a good time catching up with crews we normally work alongside with on the fire ground and are looking forward to next years competition.

So we are putting out a challenge to any brigade in canterbury who couldnt make it this year to keep an eye out for next year's event and put a team or two in from your brigade, give it a go its worth it...

17/01/2026

TODAYS PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT

We get it, there has been some very useful rain. While the fire season status will no doubt be reviewed we are still in a Restricted Fire Season. This means you must have a permit to burn legally.

Whether you think it is safe to burn (and plenty of people appear to) we just want to lay out a few consequences.

Firstly a member of the public may call 111 to report smoke, as they have been asked to do at the moment.

The call taker at Fire Communications will look to see if there is a permit for the address and if not they will respond a brigade. Probably a volunteer one, whose members dont sit around doing nothing and waiting for the call. They will respond, knowing it is likely a false alarm, because the consequences of making the wrong call are far worse one way than the other.

On arrival they will ask for your permit??? If you dont have one they will likely soak your half burnt pile so there is no chance of you lighting it again for the next 3 months leaving you with a big sloppy mess.

They will generally do this with a smile all while thinking, if only(among other things Im not prepared to put in print)!

If you need to burn please get a permit, please read it and please follow the instructions on the permit. These 3 simple steps may save your small pile of rubbish becoming a long term feature of your garden.

11/01/2026

A busy day for the team in less than desirable conditions yesterday.

First call to Amberley for a reignition of a very old burn.
A quick break for a few minutes then one truck to support Cheviot near ferniehurst while the rest of the team went to Waiau to hang out by the river.

Hopefully widespread rain will mean a few days off (yes we know that's tempting fate).

Always good to catch up with 10 other brigades in one day at 3 different fires.

Remember a bit of rain changes the short term risk but its still a Restricted fire season. If you must burn get a permit and take all sensible precautions.

www.checkitsalright.nz has some good tips and all the details you need for a permit.

07/01/2026

This weekend is set to be a scorcher! 🌞💨

That comes with Extreme Fire Danger though. So to ensure everyone is safe over the weekend we are suspending all active fire permits from 11:59pm Friday 9th January until 08:00 Monday 12th January.

We are encouraging everyone to do the following over the weekend:
❌ Do not light any fires during this time.
🕵Check on any previous burn piles - even if they are over a week old
🌾People should be careful carrying out any hot works, or works that cause sparks, including mowing lawns in the cooler parts of the day like the early morning (sorry neighbours)
🔥If you see any smoke or flames, call 111 immediately!

We are still in a Restricted Fire Season, so if you are planning to light a fire after this weekend go to www.checkitsalright.nz and apply for a permit. All permits that were suspended will be active again after 08:00am Monday 12th January.

01/01/2026

Callout 24
31.12.25
Waikari
Veg
HURU0911,WAIK601
Bonfire

And with this call we make it 24 calls for the year of 2025, from the team here at the Hurunui Volunteer Fire Brigade we wish our Families, Employers, Community and fellow Fire Brigades we have worked with throughout the year a Happy and Safe New Year.

Cheers
Hurunui Volunteer Fire Brigade