All were rubbish fires and none got out of control, but fire crews still had to attend each incident and extinguish the fires, as required during a total fire ban. Otago Rural Fire Authority deputy principal rural fire officer Peter Scarlet said at the time the fire authority might seek costs from the farmers for fighting the fires. Mr Scarlet said this week the fire authority had decided not to seek costs from the farmers, and declined to say how much the fires had cost. However, it was important to note the fire authority could still seek costs for fighting other fires. The volunteer effort was far higher than the financial costs of the three February fires, he said.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 09, 2017 19:34 UTC