A permit will be required for all outdoor fires in Canterbury. Photo: 123RF
Canterbury will move into a restricted fire season on Thursday due to an increased risk of wildfires.
It means a permit will be required for all outdoor fires.
The shift will cover from the Rakaia River north, including the hill and high country, the foothills and Canterbury Plains, Banks Peninsula and the Port Hills, Christchurch city and the Kaikōura Plains.
Fire and Emergency district manager Dave Stackhouse said FENZ reached the threshold to put restrictions in place due to the current and forecast weather conditions that have been drying out vegetation.
"We have seen an increase in the number of rural fires and they are getting harder for our crews to get on top of and contain," he said.
"The weather is forecast to get hotter over the coming days, with 30 degrees predicted on Thursday and Friday, and into next week."
Anyone with a fire permit still needed to watch the weather and avoiding lighting up when strong winds or high temperatures were occurring, Stackhouse said.