Sir Stanley Whitehead Park, where this blaze broke out in February, and nearby Walters Bluff are considered extreme fire risk areas this summer. Three Nelson reserves already have an extreme fire risk, including one that was the scene of a destructive blaze last summer. The Nelson City Council's sport and recreation committee meeting received an independent report from LandVision Ltd on the fire risk at 45 parks and reserves under council control. The report to the council said all three of the extreme risk reserves had a "substantial volume of highly flammable vegetation" and were easily accessible to the public, as well as being close to residential areas. The nine high risk parks included the Brook, Maitai, and Railway reserves, all of which have many but not all of the risk factors.

Source: Stuff December 12, 2019 15:56 UTC