Queenstown Lakes rural fire chief Gordon Bailey said a spell of rainfall across the region yesterday would provide little respite, as fire-risk levels continued to chart "off the scale".
"Most of the grass is already dead and conditions are tinder dry.
We will need a significant amount of rainfall to soak down into root systems, to allow vegetation to recover," he said.
Mr Bailey's comments came after Wanaka firefighters were called out to extinguish a "major" vegetation fire near Luggate on Saturday afternoon.
Wanaka Fire Brigade chief Steve Trevathan said a team of about 20 firefighters extinguished a 300m-long fire near Department of Conservation-controlled land off State Highway 6 about 2pm.
The blaze started in a fire pit after strong northwest winds reignited embers from a previous permitted burnoff, Mr Trevathan said.
The incident was a reminder for people to be careful about "whatever they are doing" when the risk of fire was at such extreme levels.
"Water had been dumped on this fire just a few days earlier.
We are lucky it burnt down into a gully, rather than along the ridges ... especially with the amount of wind blowing," Mr Trevathan said.
Both fire chiefs reiterated a need for people to exercise extreme caution when using barbecues around the district.
Mr Trevathan advised rural landowners mowing lawns or using tractors - both of which can throw up sparks and ignite dry grass if blades contact stone - to use the machinery during the mornings when conditions were not so dry.
Doc Wanaka area manager Paul Hellebrekers said the fire on Saturday had started on private land, but because it was within 1km of Doc land, it came within the department's fire authority jurisdiction.
"It sparked up from embers from a permitted burnoff which took place about six weeks ago.
It goes to show you how long these things can smoulder away for," Mr Hellebrekers said.
Doc was in "ongoing" discussions with the private landowner to ensure such an incident did not happen again, Mr Hellebrekers said.
Mr Bailey said people starting fires could be liable for any firefighting costs if things got out of hand.
Central Otago residents seemed to be getting the message about the fire risk and were obeying the rules, the district's principal rural fire officer, Owen Burgess said yesterday.
A total fire ban has been in place since December 4 and the fire risk in the district fluctuates between "very high" and extreme, depending on the weather, he said.
"If we get a few days of high temperatures and strong winds, the risk goes up to extreme, and we've already had that happen a couple of times this summer."
He reminded people to be cautious because conditions were so dry.
"It's been good so far though; people are getting used to the fire ban and seem to have got the message," Mr Burgess said.
Waitaki principal rural fire officer Steve Cooper said yesterday the coastal area was "not too bad", but drying out.
Extensive irrigation through the coastal area helped.
However, inland areas from Omarama through to the Pigroot were quite dry and fire permits were being monitored closely.
A restricted fire season has been in place in the Clutha District since November 15.
