Outdoor fires to be restricted in Canterbury and Mid-South Canterbury

10 December 2024

Canterbury and Mid-South Canterbury districts are both moving to restricted fire seasons at 1am on Wednesday 11 December until further notice.

A restricted fire season means anyone who wants to light an outdoor fire will need a fire permit authorised by Fire and Emergency, which can be applied for at www.checkitsalright.nz.

Canterbury District Commander Dave Stackhouse says the large fires in the last couple of weeks are a serious indication that outdoor fires need to be controlled.

“We’ve just had large wildfires at Castle Hill, West Melton and Kirwee, as well as other smaller fires which quickly escalated, like the ones at Hurunui and Dunsandel,” he says.

“Despite cooler and slightly wetter La Niña conditions forecast, the fire season has developed earlier and more aggressively this year, and we are seeing the risk elevate daily.

“We need to impose restrictions on outdoor burning, as we’re expecting to see a lot of days over 25 degrees, and frequent winds above 25kph.”

Dave Stackhouse says the last two years of La Niña rain and cooler temperatures have led to high vegetation growth rates in grasslands and river beds – which burn very easily once they dry out.

“I’d encourage all Cantabrians to check their properties and see what vegetation can be cut back to lessen the fire risk around our homes this Christmas.”

Mid-South Canterbury District Manager Rob Hands says his district has also seen the fire season develop earlier than normal this year.

“We are seeing drought indicators rising very rapidly, which means that any fire that starts is going to be difficult to knock down and control,” he says.

“It also takes us longer to fully extinguish all remaining hotspots after a fire, due to deep-seated burning.

“Having a restricted fire season allows us to limit the number of fires in the district which could accidentally spread out of control.

“We know that people in Mid-South Canterbury are aware that wildfires are becoming more frequent, and support our safety measures at this time of year.”

Rob Hands says a fireworks ban is also planned for the Mid-South Canterbury part of the Mackenzie Basin, and the area around Lake Clearwater and Lake Camp.

"And if you’re thinking about lighting a fire, go to checkitsalright.nz, which advises on the fire risk for different types of activity and provides safety advice," he says.

The only areas which have prohibited fire seasons in both districts are Department of Conservation lands, where fires are banned all year round.