Our 3-Step Escape Plan

  • First Escape Route
  • Second Escape Route
  • Meeting Place
Notes

Use this space to note any additional information about your escape plan, i.e. who will assist

Your checklist

  • Get low

    Smoke is poisonous and more deadly than flames.

    If you breathe smoke for more than a few breaths it can kill you.

  • Be fast

    A house fire can kill you in less than three minutes.

    Don't spend time trying to save possessions.

  • Close doors

    A closed door buys you time.

    It slows down the spread of fire, giving you more time to get to safety.

  • Get out - stay out!

    People have died by going back into a fire.

    Don't leave the meeting place to go back inside for any reason.

Call emergency services as soon as you are out and safe. Ask for FIRE.

Clearly state your address and let the operator know it anyone is still inside or has not made it to the safe meeting place.

Emergency call 111 Emergency text 111
Fire & Emergency New Zealand

Waiouru Fire update 9

Waiouru Fire update 9

31 October 2026

Improving weather conditions have allowed firefighters from Fire and Emergency New Zealand, New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) and the Department of Conservation (DOC) to continue working on the containment and extinguishment of the fire in the Waiouru Military Training Area, which began on Monday.

Incident Controller Craig Cottrill says that crews are working today on locating and extinguishing hot spots identified by a drone team overnight. The crews have been reinforced today by 20 fresh NZDF personnel, who will be patrolling the fire edge to check for further hot spots.

“This part of an incident is where things take a bit longer, as the crews need to identify and locate hot spots, then get resources into remote bush areas to dig them out and completely extinguish them” he says.

“The fire is around 60 percent contained at this point. It will take more time yet to get the last forty percent tidied up, as some of this has deep seated and hard to access hot spots.”

Currently there are 66 firefighting personnel on the fireground, with 18 incident management team personnel supporting them along with one helicopter, four pieces of heavy machinery and six 4x4 fire trucks.

NZDF are also supplying other vehicles where needed to move personnel around the fire ground.

“We are now working towards moving control of the incident into the hands of a NZDF Incident management team from Monday” Craig Cottrill says. “Over the next few days we will be reducing Fire and Emergency resources and NZDF will begin to transition back to business as usual.”

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