The fire risk within the Otago Rural Fire Authority's central zone is fluctuating from extreme to moderate and a restricted fire season takes effect there from today.
The zone includes the Central Otago district, parts of the Waitaki district and the upper Clutha.
''The fire risk is still variable,'' authority principal rural fire officer Dr Stephanie Rotarangi said.
''Main drivers at the moment are unseasonal low relative humidity - how much moisture is in the air - and high temperatures.''
Asked whether moving the zone into a restricted season in early October was unusual, Dr Rotarangi said it was ''traditional'' for the central zone to be in a restricted season around the start of this month.
Under a restricted fire season, anyone wanting to light a fire in the open air requires a permit from the fire authority.
Gas cookers and gas barbecues are permitted without a permit.
With Niwa forecasters predicting the El Nino weather pattern would continue for the next two months, it was likely to be a ''challenging summer'', the authority's Facebook page noted at the start of this month.
El Nino weather typically brought drought to areas that were normally dry.
High winds and high temperatures sparked fires in Otago this week.
Multiple fires broke out on Wednesday and firefighters also dealt with several fires on Sunday along with a couple of car crashes caused by dust storms stirred up by gale-force winds.
Dr Rotarangi suggested several measures people could take to lessen the fire risk on their rural properties and to possibly reduce the consequences of fires.
She said they should check their property for combustible material near their home - for example, trees, firewood or rubbish.
''We need space to defend homes so this makes a big difference.
''Check we can get to your property - fire appliances need at least 3m by 3m clearance.''
Maintain machinery and avoid sparks from the likes of chainsaws and mowers, she said.
To keep an eye on the fire danger in their area, people could look up the authority website or check the authority's Facebook page for alerts about a change in fire risk because of high winds or high temperatures.
