Fire and Emergency New Zealand has announced the lifting of the prohibited fire season in the Canterbury fire district, which banned outdoor fires across the region.

From 8am on Wednesday, 8 January, the district will transition to a restricted fire season, covering areas from north of the Rakaia River to just south of the Clarence River.

Under the restricted season, anyone wanting to light an open-air fire must apply for a permit through Fire and Emergency’s website, checkitsalright.nz.

Canterbury District Commander Dave Stackhouse said recent rain over the holiday period had significantly reduced the risk of vegetation fires.

“While we haven’t had any large wildfires in the last three weeks, we are aware that it is still the middle of summer, which means we have kept some restrictions in place,” Stackhouse said.

“Even with the recent rain and cooler temperatures, this is still one of the drier parts of the country. Therefore, we are asking people to continue to be cautious about lighting fires and to follow the fire safety advice available at checkitsalright.nz.”