An extreme fire risk in New Caledonia has prompted the Civil Security organisation to declare a territory-wide fire ban.
Aerial view of an area devastated by fire near Noumea, in 2005. Photo: AFP
The ban exempts the use of fire for cooking in domestic situations.
There have been a number of fires which have destroyed dozens of hectares of vegetation.
New Caledonia has had its driest winter since 1961 and got only a fraction of the normal rainfall.