All outdoor fires will be banned in Central Otago from tomorrow amid "very dry" conditions.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand district manager Craig Gold said the slow start to summer had been "quite deceptive".
"Our grasslands are now very dry, and the fire risk has been slowly but steadily increasing - notably in Cromwell, Lauder, Clyde and Butchers Dam.
"We have reached the threshold where we need to declare a prohibited fire season," he said.
"While several large, permitted burns have been successfully carried out over the last couple of months, it’s no longer safe to do so, and we appreciate the support of the farming community, in particular, in recognising that."
The prohibited fire season begins at 8am tomorrow, banning all outdoor fires until further notice.
Central Otago was predominantly a grassland area with a lot of fuel for potentially disastrous fires that would be extremely difficult to control.
"We want people to be very vigilant," Craig Gold says.
"A ban on all outdoor fires will reduce the number of callouts and allow Fire and Emergency crews to manage other fires that may occur."
Anyone wanting to know if they are in the fire ban area, or just not sure, can input their address into Fire and Emergency’s www.checkitsalright website for specific information on their property and location.
- Allied Media
