Restrictions came into place Friday morning.
"Over the last 10 days, the coastal area has dried up significantly," Fire and Emergency New Zealand Waitaki group manager Mike Harrison said last week.
It means all outdoor fires now require permits before being lit.
The Coastal Waitaki Zone goes as far south as Palmerston and as far north as the Waitaki River.
It also goes inland through to Duntroon.
Some types of fires, such as barbecues, outdoor heaters and cultural fires, did not require a permit even during the restricted fire season.
However, Mr Harrison encouraged people to be vigilant, to stay close at all times, and have a plan to extinguish if need be.
"I just want people to have a really enjoyable and safe Christmas. All I can ask is that people pay close attention to the conditions, that they don’t light up in days of high temperatures and high winds."
He recommended anyone planning to light a fire to visit, checkitsalright.nz
