All outdoor fires will be banned in Central Otago from tomorrow amid "very dry" conditions. Fire and Emergency New Zealand district manager Craig Gold said the slow start to summer had been "quite deceptive". The prohibited fire season begins at 8am tomorrow, banning all outdoor fires until further notice. Central Otago was predominantly a grassland area with a lot of fuel for potentially disastrous fires that would be extremely difficult to control. "A ban on all outdoor fires will reduce the number of callouts and allow Fire and Emergency crews to manage other fires that may occur."

Source: Otago Daily Times February 19, 2026 21:22 UTC