Fire and Emergency New Zealand has eased restrictions on fire for parts of Otago, including coastal Waitaki.

A restricted fire season for the fire zones in the coastal parts of Otago remains in place as of 8am this morning (Monday, March 6), but fires are no longer prohibited in the area.

This also affects Dunedin, Mopanui, and Clutha, including forestry areas within those zones.

FENZ Otago community risk manager James Knapp says while these areas no longer need to be under a prohibited fire season, some parts of the district are likely to be drier than usual for a few weeks yet.

“A restricted fire season means you need a fire permit from Fire and Emergency before lighting any fire outdoors," James said.

“People should continue to take great care with any fire or any activity that could spark a fire, especially on hot, windy afternoons.

“There’s still a lot of flammable vegetation across the district because the wet conditions during spring and early summer encouraged plant growth, which has since dried off.”

Strath Taieri, Central, Lakes and Upper Waitaki fire zones remain in a prohibited fire season, which means a total ban on outdoor fires.

As La Niña conditions eased across Otago, this was likely to lead to more changeable weather, James said.

"We’re looking forward to cooler, wetter conditions later in autumn," he said. "This should be good news for our fire risk - the very hot and dry conditions have had us on high alert over the last couple of months."

For more information about what you can and can’t do in a restricted season, go to www.checkitsalright.nz.