Far North news in brief: Fatal house fires rise, safe dog practices
Nominations are now open for the 2026 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards Ngā Tohu Pou Kōhure o Aotearoa. Know someone whose mahi deserves to be celebrated? Nominate them today and help share their story with the nation. All you need is their name, the award you want to nominate them for (there's seven to choose from), and why you are nominating them. You can share as much or as little as you like. To nominate visit: www.nzawards.org.nz/nominate/. Any questions, email the awards office at office@nzawards.org.nz
Fatal fires
Fire and Emergency New Zealand is asking everyone to put fire safety at the front of their minds following a spike in the number of fatal house fires. Risk reduction and investigations manager Peter Gallagher says in the past 12 months 17 people have died in avoidable residential house fires, 'the worst in 10 years'. Gallagher says in many of the recent fatal fires there have been working smoke alarms, but they have not been in the right places. It is calling on residents to look at fire safety advice at https://www.fireandemergency.nz/winter-fire-safety/.
Community board funding
If you are seeking community board funding for events planned between September and February, it is recommended to lodge your application before the dates below, to have your application considered at the September meetings. Te Hiku Community Board: applications due Tuesday August 5 (for the meeting on Tuesday September 2); Bay of Islands-Whangaroa Community Board: applications due Thursday August 7 (for the meeting on Thursday September 7); Kaikohe-Hokianga Community Board: applications due Friday August 8 (for the meeting on Friday September 5). Information on how to apply can be found on the council's website. If you need help with your application, phone 0800 920 029 and ask to speak to the funding advisor or email funding@fndc.govt.nz.
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NZ Herald
3 days ago
- NZ Herald
Far North news in brief: Fatal house fires rise, safe dog practices
Hundreds of school children in the Far North will benefit from a new programme that teaches them how to be safe around dogs. Photo / 123RF Nominations are now open for the 2026 Kiwibank New Zealander of the Year Awards Ngā Tohu Pou Kōhure o Aotearoa. Know someone whose mahi deserves to be celebrated? Nominate them today and help share their story with the nation. All you need is their name, the award you want to nominate them for (there's seven to choose from), and why you are nominating them. You can share as much or as little as you like. To nominate visit: Any questions, email the awards office at office@ Fatal fires Fire and Emergency New Zealand is asking everyone to put fire safety at the front of their minds following a spike in the number of fatal house fires. Risk reduction and investigations manager Peter Gallagher says in the past 12 months 17 people have died in avoidable residential house fires, 'the worst in 10 years'. Gallagher says in many of the recent fatal fires there have been working smoke alarms, but they have not been in the right places. It is calling on residents to look at fire safety advice at Community board funding If you are seeking community board funding for events planned between September and February, it is recommended to lodge your application before the dates below, to have your application considered at the September meetings. Te Hiku Community Board: applications due Tuesday August 5 (for the meeting on Tuesday September 2); Bay of Islands-Whangaroa Community Board: applications due Thursday August 7 (for the meeting on Thursday September 7); Kaikohe-Hokianga Community Board: applications due Friday August 8 (for the meeting on Friday September 5). Information on how to apply can be found on the council's website. If you need help with your application, phone 0800 920 029 and ask to speak to the funding advisor or email funding@
NZ Herald
6 days ago
- NZ Herald
How the humble air fryer took over Kiwi kitchens – and what we're cooking in it now
In 2022, demand surged in the lead-up to Christmas, and shops struggled to keep up with sales. A year later, Consumer NZ released a detailed buying guide to help shoppers compare the swelling number of models on the market, including larger, oven-style versions big enough to cook a roast chicken. Fast-forward to now, and the trend hasn't fizzled. If anything, it's evolved. What we're cooking now On TikTok, a search for 'air fryer baked oats' returns thousands of short videos featuring ramekins of mashed banana, oats, milk and baking powder, cooked at 180C until puffed and golden. The result is somewhere between a muffin and porridge – a warm breakfast for one with minimal mess. Chocolate chips, peanut butter and berries are popular additions. Other recipes trending this winter include molten chocolate cakes, croissant bakes, cheesy breakfast wraps and stuffed capsicums. On the savoury side, creators are showing off 15-minute pork roasts, skin-crackling chicken thighs, and air-fried gnocchi with crispy edges. Reddit threads and Facebook groups devoted to air fryer cooking are full of creative ideas, from drying orange slices to reviving day-old pizza and finishing off sourdough loaves. Whether it all tastes as good as it looks is another matter, but for many, the joy is in the trying. More than just convenience Part of the air fryer's success lies in how it aligns with how many people now cook: often solo or in small households, and without the time or inclination to use a full-sized oven. It heats quickly, cooks quickly and doesn't leave a sink full of dishes in its wake. Independent tests from UK-based consumer groups show that air fryers can use less than half the electricity of a conventional electric oven when preparing small to medium meals. As energy costs rise, that efficiency can make a noticeable difference to household bills. Air fryer ownership has risen sharply in Australia and New Zealand since 2020, driven by consumers prioritising speed, cost-effectiveness and healthier cooking methods. That shift is visible in local food media and retail recipe collections, where air fryer instructions now sit comfortably alongside oven and stovetop methods. From nuggets to lava cakes While early air fryer content focused on simple swaps – think nuggets, wedges and spring rolls – the new wave is more ambitious. Some creators are tackling pavlovas and bread puddings, while others use the appliance to streamline traditional favourites: shepherd's pie with a mashed kumara topping, or roast vegetables done in half the usual time. Of course, it has its limits. The air fryer isn't a magic wand. Large casseroles and liquid-based recipes are still better suited to a conventional oven or slow cooker. And some of the more elaborate desserts, such as lava cakes in silicone moulds, can be fiddly and prone to failure. 'Frying' without oil was the air fryer's biggest pull for those looking to limit fat in their diets. Photo / 123RF But for everyday use, especially in winter, the appliance has become an unlikely hero. It suits a generation of cooks who want fast results, low energy use and fewer dishes – and it taps into the quiet satisfaction of producing something hot and crispy with just the push of a button. An air fryer is no longer a novelty; it's shorthand for a practical, flexible, and modern approach to home cooking. As winter settles in, more New Zealanders are reaching for theirs not just for after-school snacks or reheating pizza, but for solo breakfasts, weeknight roasts, and the kind of crispy, warming dinners that keep power bills down and satisfaction levels up. And while the internet may still have a few unhinged hacks left to share (air-fried scrambled eggs, anyone?), most people are sticking to what the appliance does best: fast, hot food with minimal mess. Herald contributor Nikki Birrell has worked in food and travel publishing for nearly 20 years. From managing your kitchen to cutting costs, she's shared some helpful advice recently, including how to prep your barbecue for summer grilling, gourmet hacks for elevating budget ingredients and what toppings to choose for different crackers.
RNZ News
7 days ago
- RNZ News
Surge in house fire deaths over alternative heating methods
Barbecues used indoors can spark fires. Photo: 123RF Fire and Emergency (FENZ) says the cost of living could be to blame for the highest number of house fire fatalities in a decade. According to FENZ, in the past 12 months 17 people have died in avoidable house fires. In a typical year there were about 13 fatalities. FENZ reduction and investigations manager Pete Gallagher said in some cases, fires had been sparked by people using barbecues to heat their homes. "One of the things we're concerned about is people using non-traditional heating devices as a way of heating their homes," he told RNZ's Midday Report . "In order to reduce the cost of living and reduce their use of electricity, they're resorting to using items we wouldn't normally see in a household setting, things like barbecues being brought inside and used as a heating device in the home." He estimated roughly four or five fatal house fires in the past year were caused by people taking desperate measures to keep themselves warm. "We still see people utilising industrial heaters in a domestic home, and obviously they're a very powerful heater designed to heat large warehouses, and we saw some tragedy result in the use of one of those last year." Gallagher said people needed to think about safety when heating their homes. He said there were two incidents in the past year where candles caused a fire, which resulted in death. Gallagher said this past year's statistics were disappointing, as house fire fatalities had previously been on the decline. "The population has been doing a great job at reducing the number of deaths from house fires. I'd like to think this is just a blip in our statistics. But it looks to be a trend we need to get on top of because we don't want to get back to the days of the 1970s and 1980s, where a large number of New Zealanders were dying in house fires." He attributed financial pressures and people not giving proper attention to their electrical devices to the number of deaths "skyrocketing back up". "We're seeing wider use of electrical devices, there are more things people plug in or turn on in their homes and sometimes without the necessary care and attention. "But certainly the cost of living, we see that driving the way people are operating these days, and that's definitely impacting our fire statistics. 'It's a concern that people are putting themselves at risk." Gallagher said with the country experiencing colder days recently, it was timely for people to make sure they were taking a safety approach to staying warm. "We have this phrase, the 'heater metre'. We want everyone to be aware that a heating device is just as effective when it's a metre away. "When drying clothes, they don't need to be on top of the heater; they can be a metre away." He said two-thirds of the fire fatalities in the past year happened in homes while people were sleeping. "The importance of a smoke alarm cannot be overlooked. It's key for that early warning, and once it activates, it's important to have a plan to get out and stay out of the house." Fire statistics showed that those aged 65 and over, in particular, were at greater risk, Gallagher said. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero, a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
