Hot and windy weather has raised the fire risk in the Queenstown Lakes District to extreme, prompting Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) to suspend all fire permits in the Lakes zone for the next three days.

The Lakes zone covers the whole Queenstown Lakes District, which is already in a restricted fire season.

The new suspension of existing fire permits means that no outdoor fires can be lit until 9pm on Sunday (March 8).

FENZ district commander Craig Gold said that any outdoor fire in the zone would cause an unacceptable risk to the community, firefighters and the environment.

"We have reached a critical point in the fire season, and safety is our top priority,” he said. 

“With risk levels now exceeding safe operating limits for land management or recreational fires, we are suspending all active permits to protect our communities and our environment."

FENZ said people carrying out activities that can generate sparks, such as grinding or welding, should take extra care to do this well away from vegetation this weekend. 

Mowing, harvesting and similar activities should be done in the early morning or evening, FENZ said.

PHOTO: Supplied