A prohibited fire season remains in force for Central Otago, which is experiencing unusually high temperatures for March.
Temperatures exceeded 30degC this week throughout the region and Ophir experienced a record high for the month of March.
Omakau Fire Brigade chief fire officer Sam Leask, who records the temperatures at Ophir for Niwa, recorded 31.3degC - the highest temperature for March at Ophir since records began in 1945.
In March 1951, 31.1degC was recorded at Ophir.
Data was still to come in at Niwa for temperatures around the region on Tuesday, March 18, but Clyde had recorded one of its hottest days for March at 32.6degC.
Mr Leask said the region was particularly dry and a grass fire had occurred in between Lauder and Becks last week when a hay baler malfunctioned during baling.
Firefighters managed to control it with two appliances from the Omakau and Alexandra Volunteer Fire Brigades and one rural fire appliance and a water tanker.
‘‘The paddocks around it were all green, irrigated paddocks which helped block it off, but if a wind had picked up we would have been in trouble,'' Mr Leask said.
The prohibited fire season in the Central Otago District Council area had been extended.
Department of Conservation (Doc) Otago conservancy fire officer Brin Barron said the summer was a lot drier than normal.
‘‘We're definitely experiencing a drier summer, which means we are having a longer fire ban than usual,'' Mr Barron said.
With the anticipated influx of people to Central Otago during Easter, it was important they realised there was a prohibited fire season throughout inland Otago.
In the Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes districts, along with Doc conservation land, people are not allowed to light fires in the open, although gas-operated barbecues are permitted.
‘‘Fortunately we're not really on extreme fire danger. We've been getting enough moisture to keep it very high.''
If it got windy, ‘‘we'll have an extreme fire danger'', he said.
The dews at night were maintaining moisture levels and the forecast was for some rain in Otago but there was uncertainty where it would fall, he said.
There were signs up in some Doc areas alerting people to the fire risk but if people who were planning on camping were uncertain about what was required they could contact the nearest Doc office, he said.
‘‘The important thing is to tell people in the outback to be very careful. Don't light any fires.''
Central Otago District Council deputy principal fire officer Mark Hutton said conditions were still very dry and the public was urged to exercise care over the Easter period.
In rural areas, landowners were reminded to exercise caution when mowing.
‘‘As long as people realise there's a prohibited fire season in place and they don't light fires, we should be right,'' Mr Hutton said.
‘‘People have been acting appropriately under the current fire conditions.''
Rain Effects Limited hydrologist Dave Stewart said Central Otago always had dry conditions over the summer making it ‘‘very prone to fires''.
He said this summer had been drier than usual, particularly in January, and although there was average rainfall in February it had not been enough to reduce the dry conditions.
‘‘The weather system looks quite benign over Easter,'' Mr Stewart said.
There was not likely to be a lot of wind and if there was any rain at all during Easter it would be on Good Friday, he said.
