Otago residents are being urged to be a lot more thoughtful about what they burn outdoors after the Otago Regional Council recently dealt with a spate of potentially toxic fires, council compliance manager Tami Sargeant says.
"It’s important to think about what you’re burning; you’ll breathe it in and so will your family and your neighbours."
Items such as mattresses, plastic bottles, tyres, food waste, chemicals and waste oil can not be burned safely, as they have the potential to discharge extremely harmful toxins into the environment.
Best practice was to find a way to recycle or re-use them or dispose of them appropriately at landfill, Ms Sargeant said.
For those conducting backyard burning or having burn-offs, it was important to consider what effect those actions were having on the wider community and the environment, she said.
"You can still have fires, but what we are saying is, please be up to speed with our rules and understand what you can and can’t burn," she said.
The council has produced a quick guide to outdoor burning in Otago, aimed at helping people navigate the rules.
