YOUR INDUSTRY
YOUR INDUSTRY
“You could potentially help save your neighbour’s property, but it could just as easily be yours which is threatened by fire, especially given how far fires can spread if it’s windy. People have traditionally thought of swimming pools as a water source but overlooked the potential of bores.”
contact your local fire brigade now so they can GPS reference the bores and update information on water supply locations so that they are prepared to use them when a fire breaks out
Volunteers from the Mayor View Volunteer Fire Brigade at Waihi Beach tested the system installed on the privately owned Ongare Point bore head
Tapping into bore head to fight fires When Stephen Kenna watched five trucks and crews waiting for tankers to supply water from a council fire hydrant to fight a shelter belt fire near his Katikati orchard in August he thought “there has to be a better option.” By Elaine Fisher “And then I realised there was, and it was right in front of me – the bore which services our orchard and our neighbour’s orchard.” The 270-metre deep bore with a flow of 900 litres per minute is close to a public road and the bore and head works are jointly owned by Stephen Kenna and Phillipa Wright of KW Kiwi Ltd and adjoining neighbours, avocado growers Chris and Marianne Graveson. The two families had already discussed the possibility of installing an adaptor which was compatible for use by emergency services. The shelter belt fire spurred them into action. Now they want to encourage other growers and farmers with bores to consider doing the same.
The equipment is relatively inexpensive. It was around $700 for the standard, off the shelf irrigation fire adaptor Stephen and Chris bought from PSL Fire and Safety NZ. It is compatible with the equipment used by emergency services and is easy to fit. Stephen says the Bay of Plenty Regional Council supports this initiative and will not count any volume used in training or fire fighting against consented water allocations. Chris says the decision to make the adaption was an absolute no-brainer. “The questions for us and other farmers and growers with bores is not – why would you do it – but why wouldn’t you do it?
Paul Tucker of Fire and Emergency NZ and fire chief for Mayor View Volunteer Fire Brigade at Waihi Beach was consulted about the project and with wife Deryn, also of the brigade, tested the system by simply plugging in and turning on a switch to quickly fill a tanker. “It works really well, and we plan to have a training session with the Katikati brigade to familiarise everyone with its operation.” Paul endorses the concept and would like to see the idea taken up throughout the country. Key to its success will be bore owners working with their local brigades and providing GPS (Global Positioning System) co-ordinates for the location of their bores.
The adaptor fitted to the bore servicing two Ongare Point orchards is compatible with the equipment used by emergency services
Experience Next Level Precision Agriculture with Vantage NZ
“That way when fire brigades receive a call-out, our control centre can direct crews to the nearest available water source.” Stephen says the single council water main in Ongare Point Road where his orchard is, does not have the ability to refill as fast as needed for a major event, and in some cases there is a long distance to the next available take off.
Your partner for Ag Hardware, Software and Services
It is not only house fires and the potential for loss of life and property that worries Stephen, but also shelter belt fires. “The high fuel loading of shelter trees hundreds of meters long, often in remote, difficult to access areas, is also a high fire risk factor. Their loss results in physical wind damage to crops and internal temperature drops on orchards, should large areas be affected. “As we saw with ignition sources, the start points in the recent Lake Ohau fire and last year the Nelson fires, a simple spark can expand given the right conditions. Lightning strikes, as well as vehicle fires, can start a blaze even in wet weather.” The advice from Stephen, Chris and Paul is: “contact your local fire brigade now so they can GPS reference the bores and update information on water supply locations so that they are prepared to use them when a fire breaks out.”
✔ Soil moisture monitoring solutions ✔ Electro-magnetic soil surveying ✔ Precision nutrient management ✔ Block planning and design
✔ Topography and water-shed mapping ✔ Farm automation and control systems
Contact us for an obligation free quote...
0800 482 682 | www.vantage-nz.com
40
The ORCHARDIST : NOVEMBER 2020
The ORCHARDIST : NOVEMBER 2020
41
