Ash Wednesday in Dunedin – 24 February

Although in Wellington today, I’m advised that Dunedin is completely shrouded in smoke and ash from the Mt Allen forest fire. More than 400 hectares of pine forest in Mt Allen has burnt so far, and the smoke and ash from the fire has drifted over the city.

In my previous life I was a member of the Dunedin Civil Defence and Rural Fires medical advisory committee and saw first-hand the excellent work that Neil Brown and the team at the DCC Civil Defence do. I'm sure they will have the fire under control as soon as is practically possible.