If you're holidaying away from home over Christmas, make sure you take a note of your surroundings in case you have an emergency and need to call 111. Fire, Ambulance and Police say every second counts in an emergency and valuable time can be taken up if people are struggling to describe where to send emergency vehicles to help. "It’s important to provide us with enough details so we can get to you as quickly as we can. Stay on the phone and answer all the questions so we can gather the information we need to send the right response," Ambulance Communications Centre National Manager Alan Goudge says.

MEDIA RELEASE: NZFS INDEPENDENT REVIEW OF CHRISTCHURCH EARTHQUAKE The New Zealand Fire Service has released the independent review of its management of the first 12 hours of its response to the February 2011 earthquake. The review, carried out by West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Service Chief Executive and Chief Fire Officer Simon Pilling, found that the scale of event would have 'stretched any fire service in the world.'

Fire-Ambulance-Collaboration The New Zealand Fire Service and St John Ambulance are working together to build a prototype specialist fire appliance that will also function as a medical response vehicle.

Statement from Acting National Commander Paul McGill

The head of the New Zealand Fire Service holds a dual role; Chief Executive Officer (corporate leader) and National Commander (operational commander-in-chief). Mike Hall held this position until he retired from the NZ Fire Service on 31 December 2011.

The Fire Service says parents who leave matches and lighters around for their children to play with are putting their family’s lives at risk.

Following the New Zealand Fire Service review of its operational response to the February earthquake in Christchurch, it is now in the early stages of an additional internal review to examine some management aspects in more detail.

The New Zealand Fire Service and New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union have reached settlement on a new collective employment agreement to cover firefighters, officers, Communication Centre and 'Black Watch' uniformed staff.

The Fire Service has enormous sympathy for the victims of the Christchurch earthquake and their families.

Following the retirement of Mike Hall after 10 years in the hot seat, Paul Baxter is the new National Commander of the New Zealand Fire Service.

The Fire Service restructure that is underway will provide more support for many volunteer brigades and more consistency in staffing and administration within its five regions.

It is rare for firefighters to encounter an incident like the fire at the chicken farm at Lepperton last October. A series of uncoordinated decisions at the fire, combined with the unusual nature of the fire, resulted in two New Plymouth firefighters being seriously injured.

The Fire Service is encouraging people to make the most of big public Guy Fawkes firework displays.

The New Zealand Fire Service USAR team has been tasked to search for survivors in northern Japan following the devastating earthquake and tsunami.

The New Zealand Fire Service is mobilising its two North Island Urban Search and Rescue taskforce's to support the third taskforce which is based in Christchurch.

The Fire Service is delighted that New Zealand escaped largely unscathed from this year’s Guy Fawkes celebrations. National Commander Mike Hall said there was the expected increase in calls to Communication Centres, however, the impact was significantly less than last year as celebrations were largely confined to 5 and 6 November. Last year, the increased activity spanned four days, from Thursday 5 November through to Sunday 8 November.

People wanting to donate goods to those affected by the earthquake are requested to make cash donations instead.

The latest additions to the Fire Service fleet provide New Zealand with an innovative, world class capability to manage large incidents.

A strong link between fire setting as a youngster and criminal behaviour as an adult has been found in New Zealand Fire Service research.

The Fire Service is taking seriously concerns that have been expressed in relation to a fatal house fire in Rangiora on 20 September. Our sympathies are with the family and we have met with them to talk about what happened and answer any questions

Last year saw the lowest number of fireworks related incidents on record and the Fire Service is hopeful this very positive trend continues in the lead up to Guy Fawkes.

Fires are fought under rapidly changing circumstances where decisions need to be made and communicated quickly.

Two senior Fire Service staff have been deployed to help with the United Nations relief effort in the Pacific.

The New Zealand Fire Service is extremely concerned that the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union has refused to withdraw its industrial action to allow wage negotiations to continue today.

No-one is immune from the hardships caused by the current economic climate and it's about time the Union representing paid firefighters understood that and advised their members accordingly said Mike Hall, Chief Executive of the New Zealand Fire Service.

The Minister of Internal Affairs Nathan Guy today announced the reappointment of Dame Margaret Bazley as Chair of the New Zealand Fire Service Commission and the appointment of Rt Hon Wyatt Creech as Deputy Chair.

New Zealanders’ safety would not be compromised by planned industrial action announced yesterday by the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union, said New Zealand Fire Service Chief Executive Mike Hall.

The danger of candles left burning was destructively illustrated in Hastings yesterday when a double garage containing stored furniture and a trailer was gutted by fire.

THE fire which on Monday night destroyed a large house owned by yachting star Russell Coutts is not being treated as suspicious.

Homes were evacuated and roads flooded as torrential rain fell in Greymouth last night.

Firefighter Andrew "Scotty" Scotland has taken his last ride aboard his favourite Waipu fire truck.

Yesterday's fire at Bramwell Booth House in Temuka is being treated as suspicious.

A fire that gutted a sleepout sounded "like thunder going off" according to a resident living in a flat nearby.

Timaru firefighters are putting out an alert and calling for a response from the public.

One day he's helping to fight the Victoria bushfires, beating back flames and dodging falling trees in the searing heat.

A man burned his arm as he tried to put out a fire that resulted in hundreds of Auckland office workers being evacuated and a busy central city block cordoned off yesterday.

A commercial pilot and his passenger are dead after their tandem hang-gliding flight went wrong this morning.

Rural firefighter will return to help in Victoria if bushfires flare again- Jim Herdman has arrived back in NZ

A number of New Zealand firefighters have returned from bushfire-blackened regions of Victoria, satisfied with the job they did.

Hurricane-force winds that lifted roof tiles and uprooted trees in the North Island yesterday will ease today, but heavy rain will replace them until midday at least.

Nick McCabe suffered serious burns the last time he fought fires in Victoria, but making the decision to help out again was easy.

The top part of Timaru's Stafford St was closed yesterday as firefighters were called to a blaze at Ginger and Garlic restaurant.

The Department of Sustainability and Environment in Victoria, Australia has made a second formal request to the National Rural Fire Authority for support from New Zealand to assist with management of a number of large uncontained wildfires in State lands of Victoria says New Zealand’s National Rural Fire Officer, Murray Dudfield.

Another contingent of NZ firefighters with high country firefighting experience being sent to Victoria to help contain bush fires

A mother and her four-year-old daughter's lives were saved after they were pulled from their burning car following a crash near Taupo this afternoon.

A couple who lived through the Opoutama fire hope the disaster will prompt their neighbours, councils and fire authorities to take better care of the land around them.

Civil defence workers on alert for flooding and weather problems in the Far North say they have had only had reports of minor damage so far.

The success of safety initiatives which have contributed to an over 50% decrease in the Christchurch road toll will be celebrated next week.

Firefighters put out a fire on a luxury fishing launch on Lake Taupo just hours before a second blaze sparked a series of explosions, ripping the boat apart at its mooring.

Firefighters are battling to contain seven bushfires still out of control in Victoria ahead of predicted heat and strong winds towards the end of the week.

Four days of steady rain have prompted the Dunedin City Council to lift the city's total fire ban but the lighting of fires remains prohibited in the Central Otago district.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd spoke of heroes and humanity, Victorian Premier John Brumby of rebuilding and Governor-General Quentin Bryce of keeping alive the memory of those who perished in Victoria's bushfires.

He survived Victoria's bush-fire disaster and now a Kiwi dad wants fire education to be on the checklist of everyone who wants to move to rural Australia.

Ditch the flaming family wagon, just save the Model T was the reaction of a couple on their way to Napier yesterday afternoon.

The arson attacks on Ruapehu ski field last weekend appear to have been carried out by someone who was determined, organised and had extensive knowledge of the area, police said today.

More than 70 firefighters fought to cool 120 tonnes of melted glass which they said was "like trying to stop a lava flow" when a furnace began leaking at an Auckland glass recycling plant yesterday.

The weekend rain has aided the efforts of those still working to secure a fire zone at Opoutama, in northern Hawke's Bay.

A mother from Toko and her two young sons have been left with nothing after an horrific house fire tore through their home at the weekend.

Investigators will today get a clearer picture of how fires which destroyed buildings and machinery on Mt Ruapehu overnight on Friday were started.

Shattered workers at Whakapapa skifield on Mt Ruapehu are determined the season will open on time this year after devastating overnight fires.

Prime Minister John Key will farewell 53 firefighters who are flying to Victoria to help with the battle against bush fires

With Department of Conservation firefighters still at the scene of the huge scrub fire at Mahia, the final bill for tackling the East Coast blaze could reach $500,000.

A single room left untouched after a fire ripped through a Lower Hutt home proves the importance of keeping internal doors closed, firefighters say.

Australia's devastating bush fires have raised awareness about the fire danger in South Canterbury.

Victoria has witnessed Australia's greatest natural disaster. Worse than Black Friday. Worse than Ash Wednesday. Only in wartime has the toll of dead and wounded Australians been greater.

Emergency Services groups will join forces at North Harbour Stadium on Sunday 15 February for the Volunteer and Emergency Services Open Day, hosted by the New Zealand Fire Service, to provide the public a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into their daily roles.

Pukeko stand at the edge of burnt swamp land, prodding at what's left of their habitat.

Canterbury's bumper summer is about to heat up again with forecasters tipping the country's record for the hottest day could be under threat tomorrow and Monday.

Shocked and upset children have been told they will be having weekly assemblies on the grass after an arsonist set fire to their school hall.

A massive fire on a hillside north of Nelson forced emergency workers to evacuate more than 200 homes last night.

Mahia couple Colin and Raewyn Jane used wet sacks and buckets of water to beat down flames leaping toward their family home as a wind- fed fire ripped across a huge tract of the coast.

A big scrub fire forced the evacuation of six homes near Mahia Beach, south of Gisborne.

Four fires were deliberately lit in one day just days after the Far North District Council declared a prohibited fire season.

Just 12 hours out from the start of a total fire ban in Hawke's Bay, firefighters feared the potential nightmare which prompted the emergency move may havestarted.

A Rotorua teenager has been referred to the police youth aid section after being accused of deliberately lighting a fire at an Owhata house.

A Rotorua family of seven has had a lucky escape from a suspicious fire in their home.

Police are investigating a series of suspicious blazes that stretched fire crews in Invercargill yesterday.

More recreation tracks are being closed in rare fire-safety measures after a second big blaze at Hanmer Springs.

A boat trailer which broke free from its tow-bar caused two fires which closed State Highway 1 south of Oamaru for about two hours yesterday.

Despite the destruction of about 15 historic buildings each year in New Zealand from fire, protection for them is up to the owners and local authorities, says the area manager of the Historic Places Trust.

The family of an East Coast fire and ambulance volunteer killed on the job last month has had a trust fund created for it by the Gisborne District Council.

A family lost everything in a house fire yesterday -- except a wedding dress that had been sent off to have its hem sewn.

The quick response of firefighters saved a category two historic building in Arrowtown, and others near it, from being destroyed by fire last night.

Ravensdown Fertiliser factory near Napier was cordoned off this morning as Fire Service called to overheated boiler

A 16-year-old girl will appear in court today charged with the arson of a south Auckland house which left a woman dead.

Five people have been taken to hospital after an explosion and chemical leak at a factory in Southland this morning.

It sounds like some sort of fire-safety message: Where there's fire, there's Burns.

A hotter than normal summer has sent the mercury rising and those who light illegal fires in Northland could find themselves paying hefty fines and clean-up costs.

A fire which burnt about 500sq m of Department of Conservation land on the Karikari Peninsula appeared to be centred at a camp site.

A car which was being pursued by police and ended up slamming into a Norfolk pine on SH2 last night had been spotted by bystanders hitting speeds estimated at up to 150km/h just minutes earlier.

The 50-year-old man who lost two daughters in a house fire which claimed four lives in south Auckland last Monday has been discharged from hospital. Misi Sau was given the all-clear today, but his 19-year-old step-son is still in intensive care in a stable condition at Middlemore Hospital.

Former Race Relations conciliator Gregory Fortuin arrived home from overseas last night to a pile of charred rubble where his family home of 20 years once stood.

It was a serious case of deja vu for two retired Dargaville firefighters when four buildings in the town went up in flames on Monday night.

Christchurch's "unacceptable" lack of smoke alarms in homes has prompted the Fire Service to give alarms to at-risk families.

The four children who died in one of the worst house fire tragedies in many years have been remembered at an emotional service in front of their burnt out house.

Fire fighters say sprinkler systems would have lessened damage to Dargaville shops razed by fire; investigations into cause continue

A fire destroyed several shops in the Northland town of Dargaville on Monday night.

About 200 hectares of the internationally recognised Awarua wetlands has been destroyed by a fire that started a week ago, the rural fire service said.

The tragic loss of life in an Auckland house fire today should serve as a powerful reminder to New Zealanders to take responsibility around fire safety to protect themselves and their family.

Two panic-stricken parents were beaten back by intense heat and flames as they fought desperately to save four children in their burning house today, not knowing they were probably already dead.

A Tauranga man is today being praised a hero after valiantly saving the life of an elderly neighbour whose kitchen caught fire in the early hours of this morning.

Fire investigators today hope to hunt through the wreckage to find the cause of the largest blaze in Auckland in decades.

More than 100 firefighters wearing breathing apparatus were last night fighting a huge toxic blaze at an industrial complex in south Auckland.

A Temuka man allegedly responsible for four arsons in the town early yesterday, was arrested within minutes of the last fire being discovered.

Fifteen bedridden patients at a private hospital were evacuated as Hamilton was hit by a series of suspicious fires early today.

A series of explosions at a pulp and paper mill at Kawerau in the Bay of Plenty sparked an urgent response from fire crews in the district this afternoon.

At least two dozen Northland licensed premises could have their liquor or operating licence cancelled for failing to conduct fire drills.

Firefighters have raised concerns that more than 20,000 commercial buildings have no sprinkler systems.

Nearby residents were forced to evacuate their homes as a fire took hold at Mossop's Honey Shoppe last night, while 10,000 bees were lucky to escape alive.

The issue of fire safety in larger buildings has again come to the fore with an inferno in a Mitre 10 store at Onehunga.

The Fire Service says the blaze which gutted an Auckland Mitre 10 store was suspicious, police now investigating

Over-enthusiastic hairspraying by budding ballerinas caused a mass evacuation at the Regent Theatre at Palmerston North.

A Christchurch tagger may be able to help police investigating a second arson attempt on a new police station.

Auckland's emergency services have been frantic this evening, attending a massive blaze at a Mitre 10 building in Onehunga, as well as an apartment fire in the central city.

A second arson attack in a week has caused about $1 million damage to a police station under construction in Christchurch, and set the project back more than two months.

The potential for "significant fires" has led the Southern Rural Fire Authority to declare a restricted fire season for the entire southern district.

Hawke's Bay is heading for another drought after a dry spring.

The death of Pahiatua businessman Tony Jury in an accident on the Pahiatua Track during the weekend has left a void that will be difficult to fill, several Pahiatua people who knew him said.

A second suspicious fire, this time at a primary school last night, is being investigated by Christchurch police.

Pahiatua fire brigade attended a crash that claimed the life of one of their own on Sunday.

Fifteen-year-old Nick Sutton could only watch in dismay as his bedroom burnt to the ground yesterday.

An investigation has been launched into a suspicious fire that destroyed 50 square metres of an island in Lake Wanaka yesterday.

A Taupo man has been arrested for the alleged arson of his home.

A Hamilton school bus driver and his 15 young passengers had a lucky escape after their bus caught fire about 4pm yesterday.

Two hours after a huge wind gust blew a sheet of roofing iron within metres of her son at their Hanmer Springs holiday home yesterday, Mandy Heasley was still in shock.

Firefighters continued to dampen hot-spots today in a fire that has damaged 140 hectares of conservation land in Northland.

Three teenagers have been arrested and charged with arson after a house fire in New Plymouth.

The Nelson City Council this morning towed a car from Rocks Rd, after police and firefighters received a late-night callout to a burning vehicle that was holding up traffic.

A man suffered serious burns and a Hamilton couple were left homeless when fire destroyed their Chartwell home yesterday.

There are lessons to be learnt from the handling of an Australian bushfire which trapped 11 New Zealand firefighters, injuring six of them, says New Zealand's top rural firefighter.

A fire which forced the evacuation of the Wellington District Court today is believed to have been started by an electrical fault.

A taxi you don't want to leave would be a sign of great service - a taxi you can't leave is another story.

Three children have admitted lighting a fire that engulfed almost two hectares of scrub and threatened 10 houses and a school on the Kapiti Coast yesterday.

Helicopters and rural firefighters battled a large scrub fire which blazed across 40ha of steep land near the top of Crown Range Rd yesterday afternoon.

One of the quietest Guy Fawkes nights on record has the Fire Service praising the responsible fireworks attitude shown by New Zealanders.

Tougher rules surrounding the sale of fireworks including age restrictions, should cause fewer problems this year says Fire Service

Fireworks go on sale this Sunday for four days until 5 November, Guy Fawkes.

Firefighters have contained a chemical spill which forced the evacuation of Westpac Stadium in Wellington.

A new smoke-alarm battery fitted at the weekend has helped save the lives of seven people in a Christchurch house.

The driver of a van which caught fire in Arrowtown yesterday has praised the quick response of the town's volunteer fire brigade in preventing a full-scale blaze.

Firefighters called to a bank northwest of Auckland today had problems getting into the building because of the bank's security system.

One person was treated for smoke inhalation following a fire at a west Auckland factory earlier today.

Napier equestrienne Lydia Mitchell is counting her lucky stars after rescuing her two horses from a float fire, foretold by her mother in an offhand quip as the family headed home after a successful campaign at the Poverty Bay Show in Gisborne.

A Nen St house fire yesterday was the latest in a "higher than normal" number of house fires in Oamaru recently, Oamaru Chief Fire Officer Gary Gibson said.

The New Zealand Fire Service, New Zealand Police, Ministry for the Environment, and the Environmental Risk Management Authority (ERMA New Zealand) are coming together for a third consecutive year to launch a safety campaign to remind those celebrating Guy Fawkes that acting responsibly with fireworks will ensure a fun and successful event for all.

Grandma Barbara Shearer is being hailed as a hero after she saved four people from a burning New Plymouth house.

A Northland family have been left with a few photographs and a pile of ashes after their house was destroyed by fire.

An old miner's cottage in Waihi, in the Coromandel, was gutted in a suspicious fire early today.

A building in the heart of Feilding hit twice by arson is a hazard and could be demolished within days.

The Fire Service has no evidence to suggest CFC bulbs pose any different or greater risk than conventional incandescent bulbs. The Fire Service will continue to monitor callout statistics and will report any changes in this position. The Fire service also advises purchasers of CFC bulbs to carefully read the instructions on the packaging to ensure they are installed and used only as directed.

A fire that tore through a famous 19th century British ship was likely caused by a vacuum cleaner bursting into flames that was used for renovation work, police said Tuesday.

The New Zealand Fire Service Commission’s report into the explosion and fire at the Icepak Coolstore in Tamahere, Hamilton, resulting in the death of Senior Station Officer, Derek Lovell, and seriously injuring seven other firefighters, was released today.

A horror smash that killed two young Northlanders and left another critically ill is one of the worst a veteran firefighter has ever seen. Shortly after midnight yesterday a 21-year-old woman lost control of her car on a straight stretch of road about a kilometre from Ahipara, 14km southeast of Kaitaia.

Forty-metre-tall flaming redwood trees, bears, snakes and next to no water, those were some of the challenges a Northland firefighter had to contend with in California's vast forest fires.

Firefighters were called when Alexandra's mobile coffee unit burst into flames.

A workman was trapped in a crane 10m above the ground for more than 40 minutes following an accident in the Auckland suburb of Parnell this afternoon.

Invercargill fire safety officer Mike Cahill and Alexandra senior crime officer Dave George investigating the cause of a suspicious fire in Alexandra's old boxing club.

An intellectually disabled young man is being praised for saving his family after a house fire in which a family friend perished yesterday.

Toxic fumes spewed from a Christchurch industrial building on Wednesday, with 11 people needing hospital treatment and streets being cordoned for several hours.

He's been credited with saving lives and going beyond the call of duty to prevent fires, but fire safety officer George Stephens says it's just part of the job.

Firefighters from Greerton and Tauranga were treated to morning tea by recovered crash victim Meghan Bowker and her family yesterday.

Diners had their meals interrupted on Saturday night when a fire broke out in a Wanaka building.

Power and phone lines were cut, railway lines closed and goods toppled from shop shelves as a 5.9 magnitude earthquake shook Hawke's Bay last night.

The Fire Service is pleased to announce the winners of the colouring competition held recently at the Kids Fair in Wellington.

Energy Safety has said it has no concerns over the safety of compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs).

Rick Barker, Internal Affairs Minister today welcomed the safe return of nine rural firefighters from a 34-day tour of duty in California, the fifth such deployment to the USA since 2000.

A well-known Northland kaumatua's refusal to have smoke alarms installed in his home where he lived alone could have ultimately led to his death, an inquest has revealed.

Fire engines and ambulances raced to Parliament Wednesday morning after a white powder scare in the Beehive.

The Fire Service is looking into whether eco bulbs are a safety hazard after reports some have melted at the base.

Central Wellington streets were cordoned off Thursday morning after a small fire in the kitchen of a McDonald's restaurant.

Roofs were ripped from 12 Te Aroha houses forcing families to flee their homes as the weekend's 'rare and nasty' storm ripped through the Waikato. Te Aroha fared the worst in the Waikato with roofs blown off, power poles flattened and mature trees uprooted, but the brunt of the destructive storm was felt in Northland and Auckland.

Canada is welcoming New Zealand's arrangement to send kiwi firefighters to help tackle wildfires. Both Governments have today signed a mutual assistance agreement meaning both countries can send firefighters to help out during disasters. Canada's High Commissioner to New Zealand, Penny Reedie says it is great to know they can call on their friends to help fight forest fires. She says like the US, Canada suffers from significant fires, and the challenge is to have people with the knowledge and expertise to help out.

There may be little relief for North Island residents battered by the weekend storm in which four people died, thousands of homes were left without power, and roads were closed, as forecasters warn of another blast on the way. The northern end of the country was hardest hit by the deep depression, which forecasters described as the worst in 10 years.

Thousands of homes will still be without power today as the North Island recovers from the storm that in some areas was the worst in 30 years. Firefighters in Te Aroha in the eastern Waikato believe the storm was worse than one in 1978 which destroyed the town's movie theatre.

Wellington, July 27 NZPA - Emergency services are today trying to find out the cause of a house fire in north Waikato which left a man dead and his 12-year-old daughter in a serious condition. Firefighters were called to the blaze at Meremere, 65km southeast of Auckland, about 3am today.

Auckland, July 27 NZPA - A blaze that claimed the life of a 38-year-old man in north Waikato may have been caused by candles the family were using when power was cut during this weekend's storm. The man was found dead in his home in Meremere, 65km southeast of Auckland, following the blaze about 3am today.

Firefighters fearing they may have been exposed to arsenic washed themselves down after a high-risk call to a gold smelting company in Auckland. Arsenic is used in the smelting of gold and firefighters took the precaution of washing themselves down under portable showers after they attended a fire at the Regal Castings factory in Mt Eden.

An electrical fault in a dehumidifier has been ruled out as the cause of a fire that killed a Far North 92-year-old - but investigators still believe the appliance was to blame. When fire razed the home of Winifred Coxshall at Umawera, 45km southeast of Kaitaia, on June 11, suspicion quickly fell on the elderly woman's near-new dehumidifier.

Hutt City fire manager Alan Thomson says the nine New Zealanders sent to the United States to fight bushfires have all been deployed in Butte County in northern California.

A YOUNG MOTHER took her life in a deliberately lit house fire _ less than a day after she was released from hospital care against her family's wishes. The case is the latest in a string of patient deaths in the mental health system: all young New Zealanders whose distraught families say they've been let down because of chaotic care.

Extensive damage to Satara kiwifruit coolstore facility in Katikati, Bay of Plenty; investigations underway this morning Bay of Plenty firefighters have worked through the night to dampen down hotspots, after a massive blaze at a coolstore in Katikati.

A burglar alarm at the Timaru Yacht and Powerboat Club warded off a different kind of unwelcome entrant yesterday morning.The activation of the alarm, caused from burning wires, saved the building from a potentially serious fire. The Timaru Fire Service was called to the scene about 6.25am with two appliances attending from Timaru and one from Washdyke.

A sample fat fryer which caught fire at McCain's Washdyke factory yesterday morning caused moderate damage to an administration building.

A team has been appointed to conduct the investigation into the tragic incident at the Tamahere Ice Pak cool store at the weekend that resulted in the loss of life of SSO Derek Lovell, and serious injury to seven of his fellow firefighters.

The New Zealand Fire Service is asking the public who witnessed the explosion and fire at the Tamahere Ice Pak coolstore on Saturday to help them with their investigation.

The New Zealand Fire Service extends its deepest sympathy to the family, friends and colleagues of Derek Lovell.

The New Zealand Fire Service has received a large number of enquiries from the public wishing to express their support to the families of fire fighters involved in the tragic Tamahere fire last weekend.

It is with profound regret the New Zealand Fire Service advises that Senior Station Officer Derek Lovell has died from injuries sustained in an explosion and fire at a cool store facility in Tamahere on Saturday afternoon.

Anyone who has ever thought about becoming a career firefighter will get their chance to find out if they have what it takes at recruitment open days around New Zealand this month.

Media are invited to a photo opportunity at 11am, tomorrow, Friday 11 April, at Hamilton Fire Station.

The Fire Service is encouraging householders to check they have working smoke alarms installed when they put their clocks forward for daylight saving, which starts at 2am this Sunday, 30 September.

The Fire Service has completed a thorough investigation into the April incident in Wellington where a fire appliance lost its left rear wheels when returning to station after a callout.

Tauranga and Hamilton are in line for more career firefighters, Internal Affairs Minister Rick Barker announced today.

Karamea volunteer firefighters Ed Tinomana and Jason James will be presented with a Fire Service National Commander's commendation award tonight for rescuing a woman from a burning car last year.

Prime Minister Rt Hon Helen Clark will officially open three new fire stations in the Hutt Valley tomorrow morning.

For those who have always looked on as a fire truck whizzed by and wondered what it's like to be part of the Fire Service, now is your chance to contribute without having to do all the risky work of a full-time firefighter.

Hutt City's three new fire stations are ready to be moved into on January 15.

The total number of fires recorded over the ten-day Guy Fawkes sale period has topped the previous high-water mark, set in 2005. Preliminary fire statistics show there were 1729 fires across New Zealand between October 27 and November 5, compared with 1632 in 2005.

Firefighters in Palmerston North attended a house fire caused by fireworks this afternoon. The occupants called 111 at 2.30pm, after one or more fireworks were set alight on the upper storey of the Awapuni home.

Fire Service figures are already painting a bleak picture of the annual Guy Fawkes sale period, with figures showing there were more than 300 fires over the first three days of the 10-day period.

The New Zealand public is ready for a ban on the retail sale of fireworks, says Fire Service chief executive/national commander Mike Hall, who is calling for a ban from 2007 on.

Building owners are reminded that new fire regulations came into force on October 1, 2006.

The New Zealand Fire Service is heralding a nationwide first as a local territorial authority plans to give a discount to homeowners who install sprinklers

Monday 5 June 2006 The Australasian Fire Authorities Council (AFAC) has today indicated that the more readily available ionisation smoke alarms purchased by most Australian householders may not be as effective, in all circumstances, as photo-electric smoke alarms. These conclusions have been reached by AFAC as a result of early findings from research being conducted by the fire industry's Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) on its behalf. The findings of this research conclude that photo-electric alarms are consistently more effective than ionisation alarms at detecting smouldering fires in homes.

The future shape and funding of the nation's fire and rescue services will be the focus of a workshop Internal Affairs Minister, Rick Barker, is planning.

After a spate of serious fires across New Zealand in the past 24 hours, the Fire Service has reminded people that fire protection is vital in all homes.

The debate has been raised this week about what types of smoke alarms should be installed in homes. The Fire Service says people should not lose faith in smoke alarms. Working smoke alarms are far better than no smoke alarms at all.

The Fire Service's internal communication systems meant that news of a tsunami alert for parts of New Zealand was passed to all regions within half an hour of word being received.

Two Christchurch house fires within an hour of each other have given a graphic demonstration of the value of home sprinklers.

Two North Island firefighters will use a State scholarship to research overseas programmes child fire-setting.

Internal Affairs Minister Rick Barker has announced appointments to the New Zealand Fire Service Commission today.

Smoke alarms are sounding the charge for an amazing shift in attitudes to fire safety amongst New Zealanders. And the Fire Service is delighted.

Warehouse and factory owners are leaving themselves, their neighbours and the environment open to needless destruction, firefighters warn. The warning follows two disastrous chemical fires in Tauranga and Hastings.

A single sprinkler head is being credited with preventing tens of millions of dollars damage and saving close to 100 jobs in Northland.

The suspicious fire that destroyed part of an Otaki recycling plant on Monday has highlighted the importance of adherence to building regulations, the national manager of fire safety integration Gary Talbot says.

The Fire Service and the Gisborne District mayor have joined in a call for more volunteer firefighters on the East Coast following the Kawakawa Hotel fire in Te Araroa.

If a fire starts or a car crashes in a rural area, it's increasingly likely that the first firefighter on the scene will be a woman.

This year's Guy Fawkes festivities bought nearly 2000 call-outs for Police and Fire Service personnel, with Fire Service figures showing it was the worst Guy Fawkes in 10 years.

Less than a week after fireworks went on sale, firefighters have seen a six-fold increase in vegetation fires and a two-fold increase in minor call-outs. <br /><br />From Thursday morning, when fireworks legally went on sale, to Monday night (October 31) there were 34 fires nationwide where reckless use of fireworks has been identified as the cause.

More than half of New Zealanders think fireworks should not be available for sale, a survey has revealed.

More than 500 senior urban and rural fire officers, researchers and experts will be meeting in Auckland for an Australasian conference on 5 to 7 October

The Fire Service Commission filed an application this afternoon for leave from the Court of Appeal to appeal the Employment Court's recent judgment on the Holidays Act.

The New Zealand Fire Service investigators have found a fire at Fonterra's Takaka milk factory started by radiated heat from welding being carried out as part of off-season maintenance.

It's that time of year when people turn on their bathroom's heater, fan and light unit without even giving it a second thought that it might be the potential source of a fire.

The New Zealand Fire Service has a say in new building designs.</p> <p>The new Building Act (2004) means the Fire Service is now involved in the review of fire safety designs lodged for building consent, providing information on firefighting facilities and means of escape requirements, says fire risk management national director Dr Paula Beever.

Fire safety messages should be hammered home to students at every opportunity, and tertiary institutions are being urged to do their bit.

Completely irresponsible use of fireworks should make the public think seriously about whether they should be banned from individual sale, Fire Service Chief Executive/National Commander Mike Hall said today.

The Fire Service is urging elderly New Zealanders to get Firewise. 'Too many elderly are being injured and killed in fires,' says acting national commander Bill Butzbach.

Firefighters, including specialist urban search and rescue personnel, would have done anything they could to save a construction worker buried under tons of soil in Mission Bay yesterday.

New Zealand's grass fires are the target of new collaborative research with Australia.

Visitors to larger home stay premises will have the added protection of a home sprinkler system under a new agreement between the New Zealand Fire Service and @Home New Zealand, the association representing all major home stays.

The Fire Service is defending its national agreement with the Ministry of Education that limits the use of school facilities for sleepovers and requires appropriate levels of fire protection to ensure the facilities are safe.

Fire Service National Commander Mike Hall says he is appalled with public apathy following three deaths in fires this week.

The Fire Service is doing everything it can to ensure the Ratana festival is as safe from fire as possible.

Deliberately lit fires cause millions of dollars worth of damage to homes, schools and businesses each year. The Fire Service is working with Police and other government and community agencies on a joint response to this threat to communities.

New Zealand firefighters head to Victoria A fresh wave of New Zealand firefighters leaves tomorrow to help fight the bushfires that have extended firefighting resources in remote areas of Victoria.

Important information and links surrounding the Canterbury Earthquake.