Otago Rural Fire Authority Southern Lakes deputy rural fire officer Jamie Cowan, of Queenstown, said despite recent rain in the Queenstown Lakes, the fire risk was ''still significant''.
''In the last three weeks [we've attended] literally one a day.
''It's taking nothing.
''They've primarily been started by farm machinery ... they've been reasonably good-sized fires; several have required helicopters.''
Among the causes were lawn mowers, mulchers and vehicle exhausts, with seven or eight fires caused by harvesting machinery.
Another had started because of a direct drill into a paddock.
''I can't recall ever having attended a fire in eight or nine years where a direct drill has started a fire, but a spark is all it takes,'' Mr Cowan said.
''We've been saying to [farmers] pick your days - if you're going to mow the front paddock, do it in the morning while there's still a bit of dew on the ground.
''Some ... need to get that crop off in the afternoon - in those instances, take mitigating [measures], have a tanker on site or whatever to mitigate the risk.
''If they do cause a fire, it's going to cost them.''
