The village community won the "risk reduction" award at the inaugural Te Kei Nga Tohu Raukura (Symbol of Excellence) Awards, and about 25 people turned out to a presentation and community celebration at Lake Ohau yesterday.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) Waitaki group manager Mike Harrison (right) presents the award to Rachel Baker and Malcolm McMillan who, along with many others, were instrumental in setting up the fire plan and making sure everyone in the community knew about it.
They also made sure the community had yearly fire safety training sessions with Rural Fire, and now Fenz.
It was the community’s preparedness that resulted in a swift and successful evacuation, with no loss of lives, when wildfire tore through the village in October 2020.
An official Te Kei awards ceremony had been organised but it was cancelled because of Covid-19 restrictions.
