An outdoor burning warning has been issued after two rural fires in the South on Monday.
Otago Regional Council compliance manager Carlo Bell said given the many dry areas at present, rural and peri-urban communities needed to prepare carefully for any intended burnoffs.
Mr Bell said despite the cool weather in coastal Otago in recent weeks, many parts of inland Otago were tinder dry at present and had a heightened fire risk.
"Because Otago is very dry in many places, the [council] is urging people to check weather forecasts and take great care around any permitted or lawful property burn-offs they are intending."
He said people needed to check the fire-season status for their part of Otago and have permits from Fenz as well as meet council rules.
The Central Otago and Upper Waitaki zones have been under a restricted fire season since December 16 and no burning is permitted in those zones.
The general Queenstown Lakes zone is also restricted and burn-offs are only permitted with a permit.
Dunedin also had some areas that were similarly dry.
Mr Bell said there were six complaints to the council’s pollution hotline on Monday about a large smoke haze reported around Queenstown related to a fire in Kingston, which was deemed a controlled burnoff by Fenz.
A second vegetation fire burned across about 2ha at Mt Pisa between Wānaka and Cromwell. — APL
