The Central Otago and Upper Waitaki zones of the Otago District entered a restricted fire season as of 8am on September 14 until further notice, and Fire and Emergency is urging people to remain vigilant when burning off paddocks and vegetation, especially with high winds forecast.

A restricted fire season means a permit is required to light a fire in the open. You can apply for one here. 

Fire permits have been suspended for the Upper Waitaki and Central fire zones of Otago until Sunday at 8am due to very high fire danger.

Otago District community risk manager James Knapp said the restricted season had begun earlier than usual.

"Central has generally gone into a restricted season in October but it is shaping up to be an extraordinary season, even before the expected El Niño weather pattern takes full effect over the coming weeks and months," James said.

"Key indicators for a restricted fire season have already been met. This is exemplified by the fact the daily fire severity rating for Cromwell is more than double the 17-year average for this time of year, and well above where it was at the same time in 2015 - the start of the last strong El Niño weather event.”

Read more: Residents need to be conscious of fire danger

"We need people to plan their burns carefully and contact us early so we can issue fire permits, which can take up to 10 days to process," he said.

James said people should not be complacent that it is still early in the meteorological "spring", with no substantial rain expected over the coming months leading into summer.

"The days will continue to get drier, and it is expected to be like this for the coming months," he said.

"During previous strong El Niño seasons, these zones have experienced very large fires. 

“The fire history shows that significant fires can ignite and spread quickly in grass and scrub even when the fire danger is moderate, so we must be vigilant when undertaking any activities which could cause fires."

While controlled burns are still able to be carried out with a permit, the need to supervise any permitted burn is essential.