Monday's rain blew off almost as soon as it landed and did little to reduce a climbing rural fire danger in the Western Bay Moana Rural Fire Authority district.
'Things have been fairly hectic over the last few days,” says Principal Rural Fire Officer Barry Low.

Principal Rural Fire Officer Barry Low.

'A shelter belt at Paengaroa caught fire yesterday involving about 40 metres. It was started by sparks from a rubbish fire.
'At this time of year the shelter belts are really all tinder dry underneath, old shelter trimmings. We need two to three days of solid rain.”
The rural fire volunteers were called to Bowentown on New Year's Eve and again on Sunday when the same fire flared up again.
The rural fire danger is creeping up into the very high range across the Western Bay Moana RFA district, says Barry.
'It's probably higher on the eastern side towards Te Puke way,” says Barry.