The total fire ban for the Queenstown Lakes District has been
lifted. However, open fires on the islands of Lake Wakatipu
and Lake Wanaka, and the Queenstown red zone, are prohibited.
A warning not to light fires from noon today has been issued
to Waitaki district residents, because severe northwest winds
and dry air have been forecast.
Campers are still not getting the message there is a total
fire ban in force in the Queenstown Lakes district, the
Department of Conservation (Doc) Wakatipu area office says.
The Queenstown Lakes District Council and the Department of
Conservation have imposed a total fire ban for the Queenstown
Lakes district, with severe fire risk conditions forecast for
this weekend.
The total fire ban covering the Southern rural fire district,
excluding the Naseby area, is to be lifted on Monday at 8am
after this week's rain eased the danger, but total fire bans
around Otago will remain in place.
A total fire ban is expected to remain in place across
Queenstown Lakes till at least next year as the district
continues to bake after a run of dry, hot weather.
The first prosecution under a Waitaki District Council bylaw
introduced a year ago which bans open fires in urban areas
cost an Omarama man nearly $2000 in the Oamaru District Court
yesterday.
