Pegasus Beach Fire sparks community conversations
This week the Community Readiness and Recovery Directorate and the Canterbury Community Risk Management team are releasing a three-part video series looking at the impact of the Pegasus Beach fire on the community.
The video series can be used as a conversation starter between our people and our at-risk communities about identifying possible risks and taking simple, practical steps to prepare so they can have peace of mind that they are well-equipped for when fires do happen.
‘By listening to the community and hearing how they felt before, during and after event we can better understand how we can support them,’ explains Tom Ronaldson, Acting Community Education Manager.
‘The Pegasus Beach fire has shown us how important it is for communities to understand and mitigate their risks and the Woodend Campground’s evacuation plan is an example of a community doing so.’
At around 10.30pm on 2 November 2023, three hours after the fire started, the Woodend Campground was forced to evacuate all 130 people staying at the Holiday Park.
‘The Woodend Campground had a really detailed evacuation plan, enabling the evacuation process to be completed quickly and efficiently,’ says Dean Harker, Community Risk Manager, Canterbury.
‘They meet on their evacuation procedures on a monthly basis and ensured every camper was aware of the procedures when they checked in.’
By using case studies like these, the Community Readiness and Recovery Directorate hopes to inspire people to think about their readiness and take action to protect themselves and their communities.
Watch the videos here:
Before the fire
Thanks to Canterbury’s Community Risk Management team, the Woodend Volunteer Brigade, Horse Trainer John Dunn, the Woodend Beach Holiday Park community and the Te Kōhaka o Tūhaitara Trust for helping create the videos.