Clyde's chief fire officer, Richard Davidson, has warned those burning rubbish on their property to be aware embers can often restart fires that appear to be out.
His warning was prompted after a fire in Springvale Rd was reignited and the Clyde Volunteer Fire Brigade was called out on Saturday afternoon to dampen down a tree stump.
Burn-offs, particularly of trees and stumps, could stay burning for three months or more, even under snow or dirt that had been piled on top, Mr Davidson said.
August and September were windy months in Central Otago, and it would not take much to reignite a fire, he said.
The Naseby Volunteer Fire Brigade was called out in similar circumstances yesterday afternoon. Naseby brigade deputy chief fire officer John McGirr said the rubbish fire had been lit in windy conditions and blown on to nearby dry trees.
A total of 15 firefighters were called to the scene from both the Naseby and Ranfurly brigades, a tree fire taking two and a-half hours to extinguish.
The fire was difficult to put out because of the wind and the lack of a water source nearby, Mr McGirr said.
