Holiday vibe

An investigation would be carried out to determine the cause of the fire but it was concerning that there had been multiple suspicious fires in the past fortnight, Foley said.

‘‘If these fires are deliberately lit it could be putting someone in the farm park at risk,’’ he said.

The fire comes after three suspicious fires lit in the Wither Hills on New Year’s Eve.

More than 30 firefighters and four helicopter crews were called to fight three different blazes in the hills, lit about 800 metres apart.

The cause of the fires was still being investigated.

Long grass and extreme predicted heat made the Wither Hills Farm Park a dangerous place at this time of the year, Foley said.

‘‘I wouldn’t want to be up the hill and have a fire like this because there’s nowhere to go,’’ he said.

‘‘If a fire did kick off, it could be potential injury or fatality.’’

Foley recommended users of the Wither Hills keep low in the park and avoid it during the heat of the day.

A total fire ban would be enforced south of the Wairau River and include Blenheim, Picton, Havelock, Renwick, Seddon and Ward from Thursday.

The Taylor Dam fire was a prime example of why a fire ban was needed this summer, Foley said. ‘‘It doesn’t take much to set it off and this is an indication of why we’re imposing the ban,’’ he said. ‘‘Any fire we have now has the possibility to get large quickly. Especially when they’re pushed by the wind they can be fastmoving.’’ Ryan James was one of the handful of bystanders on Taylor Pass Rd and said he hoped whoever was lighting suspicious fires would be caught. ‘‘It makes me very angry, but there are people out there who would do anything for attention,’’ he said. ‘‘These fire crews deserve credit, they come out because there are idiots about.’’ Anyone with information is asked to contact Blenheim police or give information anonymously by calling Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111. Gather your friends, and tuck into tacos and margaritas on a fine summer evening.