Fire and Emergency New Zealand is asking Hawke’s Bay residents to hold off lighting fires and to check any historic burn sites are completely out with high winds expected over the weekend.

"Please don’t light fires when strong winds are forecast," says Fire and Emergency Principal Rural Fire Officer Trevor Mitchell.

"The winds can cause a fire to more easily spread and get out of control."

"Anyone who has lit a fire should also double check it is fully extinguished so the winds don’t reignite it," Trevor Mitchell says.

"Dig right down into the site, open it up and put some water on it to make sure it is absolutely out."

Trevor Mitchell says people need to be extra careful as we go into a windy period of the year, especially with unusually dry weather.

"We’ve had half the usual rainfall we’d expect over winter in the Hawke’s Bay and there’s still a lot of dry materials around from last summer - meaning there is more fuel for a fire to burn," he says.

"Check the weather forecasts and take the necessary precautions to prevent a fire getting out of control."

"If you need any advice, get in touch with the Hawke's Bay Area Office on 06 835 2114 or go to www.checkitsalright.nz. You can find information on that website about how to reduce the risk of fire."

"If you're concerned about a fire, call 111."

© Scoop Media