Masterton firefighters putting out a backyard fire in central Masterton. PHOTO/FILE
A large urban burn-up of furniture and mattresses was put out by Masterton firefighters mid-morning on Wednesday after complaints were made.
Acting station officer Ross Billman said the smoke from the Albert St outdoor rubbish fire was visible many streets away.
“The fire was concerning to neighbours, and among the carbon-based items burnt were beds and other furniture that was hazardous to others,” Billman said.
Billman said the fire was rapidly extinguished but coming into summer, and a total fire ban imminent, people needed to be more aware of their environment and how the fire might affect others.
“We would rather people took their old furniture to the tip than burn it in piles in a backyard near other residents,” he said.
An unattended domestic burn-up on Wallace St, Featherston, was put out by Featherston fire crew just after noon on Wednesday.
In September, a pile of rubbish, with similar household items, was set on fire at the rear of a Cole St property but was also extinguished by the fire service.
The district bylaw about backyard burn-ups states that “no one may light, or allow to remain lit, a fire that creates a nuisance, or health risk to any person or property”.
