News Story
The Brigade is ending Operation Parched, our heightened operational readiness during the region's long, dry summer season which resulted in a total fire ban and declaration of drought conditions. Members responded to several major rural events in the North of our area of operations and to a 4th alarm equivalent in urban South Auckland. All were long-duration events, the flames fed by tinder-dry vegetation, like a powder keg in the extraordinarily parched conditions - the 3rd driest summer since records began. We also attended numerous other smaller scrub and bush fires. Operation Parched began towards the end of January when it was clear that Auckland was in for a dry spell, but few could have foreseen it would continue for two and a half months, ending only now that persistent autumnal rains have prompted Auckland Council to cancel the total fire ban. A restricted fire season remains in place.
