A series of scrub fires in the Dunedin area kept firefighters busy for much of yesterday.
Fire appliances from Outram and Mosgiel, and a rural fire crew from Wakari responded to six small fires that ignited scrub and trees near Momona about 2.50pm.
The fires, believed initially to have been controlled burn-offs, were located along a riverbank in Taurima Rd.
The Dunedin City Fire Brigade was called to a second scrub fire in Sanda Rd, Brockville, about 8.10pm.
About 25 minutes later, fire appliances from Ravensbourne and Willowbank stations were called to a third scrub and hedge fire in Manuka St, Ravensbourne.
A New Zealand Fire Service spokesman said the fires were not related.
He believed the spate of fires might be connected to the drop of fire bans in the area and the careless disposal of ash from fireplaces.
However, the causes of last night's fires in Brockville and Ravensbourne had not yet been determined, he said.