Southerners and tourists are being warned out-of-control wildfires could devastate the region, with fire restrictions ramping-up in response to forecasts of hot, dry weather.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) has placed Central Otago under a total fire ban and has restricted fires in most of the rest of the South.
Fenz district manager Otago Phil Marsh said the days were continuing to get drier.
