The entire Canterbury area (Selwyn District, Waimakariri District, Christchurch City District, Hurunui District and Kaikōura District) will move into a Prohibited Fire Season as of 11:59pm Wednesday 31 January.

A prohibited fire season means no open-air fires are allowed and all fire permits are suspended.

District Commander Dave Stackhouse said there have been several significant fires in Canterbury over the past few weeks, and there is little to no relief in the forecast for the next two months.

“Hot, dry, and windy weather is expected to continue, causing vegetation to dry out. In these conditions, fires spread quickly and are hard to control.

“Our strategy is to escalate the resources sent to vegetation fires on days when the fire danger is extreme. This requires large responses from crews which will put a heavy burden on our volunteers, their families, and employers.

“So please avoid doing any works that may cause sparks during the heat of the day and always have a way to extinguish any fire that may start.

People should be prepared to evacuate their properties should the threat of wildfire be impacting on their area. You should have a grab bag ready to go, that includes a plan for your animals.