Temperatures are expected to soar in Canterbury on Wednesday, leading to an increased fire risk.
MetService says temperatures are expected to hit the mid 30s in some areas, with a forecast of 34C in Christchurch.
Southern Fire Communications Centre duty shift manager Brent Dunn is warning people to stay alert.
"With the hot weather and potentially high winds, anyone that's planning on lighting a controlled burn-off, just make sure they're following the conditions of their permit," he says.
"For those who are burning, just make sure they have plenty of water nearby and they've put all the safety precautions in place."
If something does go wrong, Dunn says people need to act fast.
"If any of the public see smoke or suspect anything give us a call straight away on 111. We'd much rather go and check it out," he says.
"Even if you think it's nothing, just give us a call anyway and we'll go and have a look."
He says you can assess the risk before you light a fire on the Fire and Emergency website.https://checkitsalright.nz/reduce-the-risk
