EVAN BARNES/GETTY IMAGES A firefighter sprays the fire in Walters Bluff on Friday.

Police and NZDF on patrol in evacuated areas overnight as dozens of firefighters battle the blaze.</s>Ten years after the devastation of Black Saturday, building design has largely been unrecognised as an area worthy of research. We have advanced our knowledge of the materials used in the construction of homes in bushfire-prone areas but we continue to use the design model of the suburban home.

This needs to change. An initial starting point is to consider the way previous bushfires have damaged and destroyed buildings.

Read more: Where to take refuge in your home during a bushfire

A bushfire has five different elements: smoke, wind, embers, flames, and radiant heat (the latter two are collectively called the “fire front”).

Smoke and wind are usually present throughout a fire, but are particularly high when the fire burns at its most intense levels. Depending on the type of vegetation burning, isolated flying embers may arrive hours before a fire front. Intense ember attacks usually occur 15-30 minutes before a fire front arrives, and may persist for up to 8 hours after the fire front moves on.

Radiant heat at a level that makes it impossible to survive outside will persist during the passage of the fire front, which may last anywhere between 2 and 15 minutes. However, if consequential fires are ignited by the main fire front, the radiant heat may remain at non-survivable levels for much longer.

The smoke of a bushfire reduces visibility and can turn a bright day into night. A change in wind direction can renew a threat residents thought had already passed them.

How will a bushfire attack your home?

Most people would expect that the most destructive element of a bushfire is the fire front, but rather surprisingly that’s not the case. Ember entry and associated spot fires, rather than direct flame contact, accounts for 75-80% of homes destroyed by bushfires.

Embers can be large strips of burning bark, or a tiny spark as small as a pinhead, and depending on wind speed these can travel up to 10 kilometres ahead of the fire front.

Australian research over the past 75 years has revealed more than 20 different parts of a house and its surrounding area that are vulnerable to bushfire attack. Much of this knowledge has now been incorporated into a recently updated Australian Standard: Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas.

These guidelines aim to reduce the vulnerability of each part of a house, and thus make the structure as a whole more resistant to bushfire damage. The Standard applies across Australia for new homes and renovations.

The known weak parts of a building are referred to as the “building ignition points”. Several are considered below:

In domestic homes the roof cavity is the large open space under the roof and above the ceiling. Embers in this space can cause fire to spread rapidly, making the whole building vulnerable to ceiling collapse.

Any gap in the roof, such as a poorly secured tile, can allow flying embers to enter. The burning crown of a nearby tree, pushed onto a roof by high-speed winds, can also ignite the house.

When people choose to shelter in their bathrooms they often forget the ceiling is particularly vulnerable there. It’s difficult to access a roof cavity with a fire hose, and extinguishing embers and fire invariably damages electrical wiring, plasterwork, and home contents.

Regular inspection and maintenance of roof elements can help reduce ember entry. Avoiding trees close to your house, and removing any overhanging branches, can also help reduce this bushfire risk.

Overhanging trees can cause compacted leaf litter to build up in gutters. During a bushfire flying embers land in this material, catch alight and spread flames to combustible parts of the roof structure such as wooden facia boards, rafters, roof battens, and eaves.

It’s a good idea to clear out your gutters each year as part of seasonal bushfire preparation. Some people choose to wait until a bushfire is approaching to do this, but going onto your roof for the first time in semi-darknes while embers are flying at you can put you at risk, and endanger your life.

If you’re building a new structure you can consider extending the roof line and having a water collection system on the ground to remove the need for gutters.

Together vents and weep holes allow for fresh air to pass through a building and for excess moisture to leave, reduce condensation and mould. They are necessary for our comfort and health, and maintaining the integrity of a building.

However in a bushfire these types of external openings can allow flying embers to enter the building and start spot fires. Having steel or other non-combustible mesh with small holes in front or behind vents and weep holes can reduce the bushfire risk while still allowing air and moisture to pass through.

Often houses constructed in bushfire-prone areas are built on a sloping block of land. The area under the building (the subfloor) is left open rather than being enclosed, and combustible materials are often stored there. The danger is similar in scale to embers in the roof cavity. When embers or flames take hold in this subfloor area they can spread under the entire building and allow the fire to move up.

Plants and mulched garden beds next to the home

Garden beds and timber steps near a house are a potential danger during a bushfire. Plants with dense foliage can burn intensely and cause radiant heat damage, cracking and imploding nearby windows and glass doors.

Garden beds which have been recently mulched can trap flying embers and spread fire to timber subfloors. It’s much better to have a non-combustible paved area next to your home, with pots containing either succulents or plants with thin foliage.

Read more: How can we build houses that better withstand bushfires?

Deciding whether to stay and defend a home or leave early is a difficult and contentious choice. Hopefully, knowing more about some parts of your house which are most vulnerable to bushfire attack will make that decision easier.</s>Firefighters are still struggling to contain a huge blaze that is covering 1900 hectares near Nelson on New Zealand's South Island.

"We don't have total control of that area, we're just fortunate it didn't actually grow yesterday," Fire and Emergency New Zealand's John Sutton told media on Thursday.

"But I would expect by the end of the day, we'll be able to say that we have containment," he added.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who visited the region on Thursday, said seeing the fire up close was confronting.

"While I'm immensely relieved there's been no loss of life and want to thank all of those involved in tackling this immense fire, it's clear there are going to be some difficult times ahead until we get the fire fully under control and people back to their homes," she said in a statement.

So far emergency services confirmed that one property was destroyed while more than 400 people had to evacuate 183 homes when the inferno approached.

Richard Kempthorne, the mayor in the Tasman district in the north of New Zealand's South Island, said evacuations would likely remain in place for a few days.

Investigators believe that a contractor ploughing a paddock in Pigeon Valley, about 30 kilometres from Nelson, accidentally started the fire on Tuesday.

No injuries have been reported but 13 sheep had to be put down.</s>Penny Kazla from the CFS explains steps to help minimise bushfire risks to properties. CREDIT: CFS

MORE than 40 buildings and homes throughout Mitcham are at “extreme” risk from bushfires, CFS data shows.

Among the public buildings on the list are Belair Uniting Church, on Sheoak Rd, Kalyra Heights retirement village, also in Belair, Eden Hills Kindergarten, Blackwood Football Club, Hawthorndene Primary School and Wittunga Botanic Garden.

Of the 44 properties across Mitcham listed as at extreme risk, 24 are residential, predominantly in Blackwood and Eden Hills.

A further 21 homes, buildings and properties are listed as a “high” risk from bushfire.

Sturt CFS group officer Dale Thompson said most people were clearing their properties of fuel to avoid bushfires.

“With a lot of places we have seen this year, there has been an increase in the actual (cleaning up) work being done in these areas,” Mr Thompson said.

“People are actually taking notice of the warnings the CFS are giving.”

The release of the data came as the State Government announced out-of-date fire maps were being redrawn to stop development in areas considered a high risk.

The Planning Department had brought together a team of experts to update the fire maps used by councils and the government to approve housing developments and other buildings.

Since 2006 the potential fire danger of an area has been factored in to council approval for homes, tourist accommodation, schools and other sensitive development.

Mitcham is one of only eight Adelaide councils to take account of the bushfire maps in its planning approvals.

It also closes many community buildings, including Blackwood Library and Community Centre, on extreme and catastrophic fire days – when household bins are not collected either.

Kalyra Communities chief executive Sara Blunt said each year “extensive planning” went into ensuring the Kalyra Rd village and nursing home was bushfire safe.

She said residents in retirement living needed their own fire plan.

“In about September, we start preparing our trees, do a lot of ground cover clearance, tidying up, and also test our systems like sprinklers,” Ms Blunt said.



“We keep all the equipment up to date and make sure it is all working, but (retirement village residents) have the same responsibility as everyone else in the community on fire danger days.”

She said there was another bushfire plan for residents in the nursing home.</s>Dozens of people have fled their homes after properties were destroyed by a large forest fire at the top of New Zealand's South Island.

The blaze started on Tuesday at around 2pm local time (1am UK time) near the small community of Wakefield, around 16 miles south of Nelson.

Fanned by near-30mph winds and extremely dry conditions, the fire was reported to have grown to almost 2,000 hectares by Wednesday.

The winds had "led to the fire creating its own extreme behaviour", according to Tasman Council.

"Due to this, crews have not been able to access the forest areas and are instead focusing on controlling the fire when it is spotted onto grassland," a spokesman for the authority added.

More than 60 firefighters, many of them volunteers, battled the blaze overnight, with several helicopters and planes involved in the operation.

The fire burned through the settlements of Pigeon Valley, Eve Valley and Redwood Valley, the latter where several homes have been lost, according to the Tasman Marlborough Fire Area.

About 150 homes have been evacuated and at least 70 households registered at a shelter for evacuees overnight.

Residents downwind of the fire have been warned to be ready to leave at short notice.

The area is mainly lifestyle blocks and farms, with a significant quantity of plantation forestry on the hills behind.

Thick smoke could be seen many miles away and there were reports of eye irritation and ash falling onto the streets as far away as Nelson.

New Zealand's national institute of water and atmospheric research said that the smoke could reach north of Wellington, New Zealand's capital, which sits at the bottom of the North Island - more than 120 miles from the fire.

The Nelson-Tasman region has been extremely dry for many weeks, with a lack of rain leading to strict water restrictions being imposed earlier this week.

Some rain had been expected early on Wednesday but it turned out to be minimal.

Tasman mayor Richard Kempthorne told Radio New Zealand that emergency services were doing their best in difficult conditions.

He said: "It will be hours, if not a day or two, before the fire is completely out."

He told TVNZ that the area was "massively tinder dry" and it had been an "awful spectacle to see [the fire] spread".</s>WELLINGTON (Reuters) - A bush fire on New Zealand’s South Island spread through thousands of hectares, destroying property and forcing the evacuation of about 100 homes, officials said on Wednesday.

The fire that started at Pegion Valley in Nelson on Tuesday doubled overnight to spread over 1,870 hectares within a perimeter of 20 kilometers, the Nelson Tasman Emergency Management Office said in a statement.

More than 100 homes have been evacuated or self-evacuated, the statement said, and people were being sheltered at civil defense centers. Authorities declared a civil defense emergency in the Nelson-Tasman region.

Several homes have been burned down although there have been no reports of casualties or injuries so far. Strong winds have been fanning the flames and firefighters struggled to reach affected forest areas.

Officials said 12 fire crews worked overnight to control the fire, and 10 helicopters and two planes were being used on Wednesday to control the blaze. It could take up to four days to extinguish the fire, firefighters said.</s>WELLINGTON (Reuters) - A bush fire on New Zealand's South Island spread through thousands of hectares, destroying property and forcing the evacuation of about 100 homes, officials said on Wednesday.

The fire that started at Pegion Valley in Nelson on Tuesday doubled overnight to spread over 1,870 hectares within a perimeter of 20 kilometres, the Nelson Tasman Emergency Management Office said in a statement.

More than 100 homes have been evacuated or self-evacuated, the statement said, and people were being sheltered at civil defence centres. Authorities declared a civil defence emergency in the Nelson-Tasman region.

Several homes have been burned down although there have been no reports of casualties or injuries so far. Strong winds have been fanning the flames and firefighters struggled to reach affected forest areas.

Officials said 12 fire crews worked overnight to control the fire, and 10 helicopters and two planes were being used on Wednesday to control the blaze. It could take up to four days to extinguish the fire, firefighters said.

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.

Firstpost is now on WhatsApp. For the latest analysis, commentary and news updates, sign up for our WhatsApp services. Just go to Firstpost.com/Whatsapp and hit the Subscribe button.</s>After clinching the five-match ODI series against New Zealand, India are all set to take on the Black Caps in the three-match T20I series from Wednesday at Westpac Stadium.

Heading into the series, the Men in Blue will be brimming with confidence and look to continue their winning momentum against the Black Caps in the 20-over format as well.

India had outplayed the hosts in all the departments in the first three ODIs before they slumped to a humiliating eight-wicket defeat in Hamilton. However, they bounced back in style to register a 35-run win in the fifth and final match in Wellington to claim the series 4-1.

Having already lost the ODI series, New Zealand, meanwhile, will look to take some inspiration from their thumping victory in Hamilton and put up a much-improved performance in the T20I series.

Rohit Sharma, who led the Men in Blue in the absence of rested regular skipper Virat Kohli in the last two ODIs, will continue to lead the charge as India look to record their maiden T20I series win in New Zealand.

Here is a look at some of the records which the Men in Blue have made in T20Is against New Zealand:

# The two sides have met each other in T20Is eight times, with New Zealand having an upper hand with a 6-2 head-to-head record in their favour.

# Interestingly, the Men in Blue have played just two T20Is against the Black Caps in New Zealand and the hosts clinched victories on both the occasions. On February 25, 2009, India slumped to a seven-wicket defeat against New Zealand in Christchurch before the visitors lost by five wickets in Wellington just two days later.

# In March 2016, India recorded their lowest total against New Zealand in the shortest format of the game as they were bowled out for 79 runs in their stipulated 20 overs during an ICC World Cup clash in Nagpur. Veteran wicketkeeper-batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni was the highest scorer for the Men in Blue with 30 runs in the match, which the Black Caps won by 49 runs.

# India's highest total against New Zealand in T20Is came on November 1, 2017 when they posted a score of 202/3 in the first of the three-match series at the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium. The opening duo of Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma smashed 80 runs each as the hosts marched to a 53-run win over New Zealand.

# Dhawan and Rohit's knocks of 80 in Delhi ODI in 2017 still remains the highest score by an Indian batsman against New Zealand.

# Former Indian cricketer Irfan Pathan recorded the best bowling figures by an Indian against New Zealand in T20Is. He finished with the figures of three for 31 during the second T20I of the two-match series in Chennai on September 11, 2012.

# Meanwhile, the record of the highest partnership between an Indian pair against New Zealand in the shortest format of the game is held by Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan. The duo shared a huge stand of 158 runs for the opening wicket on November 1, 2017 in the opening T20I in New Delhi.</s>Federated Farmers urges its membership and all others in the Nelson area to take extreme care to avoid risks to life and property as the fire from Pigeon Valley continues to rage on.

A state of emergency was declared today for the Nelson-Tasman area.

According to the latest information at hand the fire now covers1,870 hectares.

Feds Board Member and Fire spokesperson Karen William describes the situation as fast-moving and residents are advised to be prepared to evacuate as personal safety is paramount.

'If you are told to evacuate please follow those instructions. It may be heart-breaking having to leave your home and property, but you are ultimately what is valuable. New Zealand is thinking about the hard-working volunteer and employed staff of Fire and Emergency New Zealand, Civil Defence and residents of the Nelson region at this time.'

If the fire does make it to animal stocked farmland there are a few things to be aware of.

'Opening gates can be problematic as loose stock can be another serious hazard to responders. Herd them into wet areas, swamps etc, even Lucerne or worked (not sprayed paddocks) if practical. But please bear in mind each fire is different and this advice may not be practical for your particular situation.'

Feds understands an evacuation shelter has been set up at a local race course which was taking animals, particularly lifestyle block residents that have small numbers of stock.

TIPS TO REDUCE FIRE RISK ON YOUR PROPERTY - COURTESY OF SCION RURAL FIRE RESEARCH AND FEDERATED FARMERS

As the summer conditions are beginning to bite throughout New Zealand, there are some steps that farmers can undertake to reduce the fire risk on their farms over this period.

1. Reduce the fire fuels on your property by mowing grass often or removing dead fuels from around your farm. 

 2. Create a fire break around your property. If possible, maintain green laws and ensure paddocks around your farm buildings and yards are well grazed and not overgrown.

 3. Have a water source which can easily be accessed or is portable in the event of a fire or emergency and clearly indicated for emergency crews. 

 4. Provide clear access to your farm for emergency vehicles if needed, remove overhanging trees and clear driveways if possible. Make sure your RAPID number is displayed in a place that is clearly visible for emergency vehicles. 

 5. Know the fire risk in your area, know what the current fire dangers are and what the restrictions are in your area. You can do this by visiting www.checkitsalright.nz 

 6. Create a fire plan for your family, livestock and assets, so you know what to do if the situation strikes.</s>India will take on New Zealand in the first T20I in Wellington. India has been in terrific form after winning the ODI series 4-1 against the Kiwis. Rohit Sharma will be leading the side in Virat Kohli’s absence and will be looking to have another series win under his belt. A win for the Indian team will be its first T20 series win against New Zealand on Kiwi soil.

New Zealand, on the other hand, will be looking to make a comeback after the drubbing they recieved at the hands of the Indians. The T20 format will also see the return of Rishabh Pant who was not picked for the ODI series. The left-hander from Delhi will be looking to impress the selectors if he wants to make it to the World Cup squad.

When is India vs New Zealand first T-20I?

India will take on New Zealand on 6th February 2019 in the first T20 international.

Where will India vs New Zealand be held?

India will face New Zealand in Wellington for the first T20I match.

What time will India vs New Zealand begin?

India vs New Zealand will start at 12:30 pm IST.

Where to watch India vs New Zealand 1st T20I on TV?

India vs New Zealand 1st T20i will be live on Star Sports network.

How to watch India vs New Zealand on live streaming?

India vs New Zealand can be streamed live on the Hotstar app and the Hotstar website.
Several homes have been damaged in an uncontrolled bushfire near the New Zealand city of Nelson.