Local firefighters say they would be nervous about going to fight bushfires in Australia while Otago itself is so dry.
A total fire ban is in place in parts of the province and it could be extended over the next few days.
While New Zealand firefighters have not yet been asked to help out in Victoria, Dunedin City Council principal rural fire officer Graeme Still said he would have to think very carefully before committing the team of six he took to Australia three years ago.
"Our fire danger's a bit high so I don't think we'd like to be travelling too far. Our own back door's pretty dry at the moment."
National rural fire officer Murray Dudfield said yesterday no request for firefighters had been received but he was in close contact with his Australian counterparts.
"We will work with them any way we can."
He concurred with Mr Still's comments on the fire risk here and said that would be taken into account if the call came from Australia.
The fire risk is now "extreme" in parts of the east coast of both islands.
A total fire ban is in place over the Strath Taieri and south coast area, to the Leith Saddle, and Mr Still said he was keeping "a close eye" on the north coast area to Waikouaiti.
Fire crews had been called out on Friday and Saturday to fires lit before the ban was imposed but not extinguished properly.
He warned operators of machinery to be careful about sparks and hot exhaust pipes and smokers to be careful about how they disposed of their cigarette butts.
In 2006, New Zealand sent 85 firefighters to Australia.
Eleven were injured and forced to run for their lives near Mansfield in northeast Victoria, when they were caught in a wildfire flare-up.
Six needed hospital treatment for their injuries but all have since recovered and returned to normal duties.
Mr Still said firefighters in both countries received the same training, and fighting Australian bushfires was "no different" to fighting forest fires in New Zealand.
While he would not be surprised to get the call, particularly if the fires continued for a long period, "it wouldn't be very prudent to send people away with the fire danger the way it is at the moment".
