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Canterbury firefighters have been stretched again today as they took no chances with a number of flare ups sparked by another day of high temperatures and winds.
Emergency services deployed as many crews as possible to each incident as well as to a major blaze in West Melton.
Crews are dampening down hotspots at the scene of the West Melton fire while dealing with a number of other small fires.
And with more high temperatures and winds on the way, it could be a dangerous weekend.
The region hasn't experienced conditions like this for five years as the heat from raging infernos in Australia takes the moisture out of the soil.
Canterbury has now had seven days of 30 degree temperatures and the West Melton fire razed another 80 to 100 hectares of Canterbury grassland and pine plantation.
Principal rural fire officer Wilson Brown said the wind rapidly spread the grass fire into the trees. It was brought under control with the help of 18 fire appliances and tankers fighting from the ground and three helicopters from above.
No stock or homes were affected no one was injured in the blaze but Brown said conditions were very tricky.
"The smoke plume could be seen as far away as city...it was very, very black."
But it was just one of a spate of fires in the region today with more than 20 in Canterbury in the past 24 hours.
For the people dispatching resources it has been a harrowing few days and with the wind and temperatures set to soar again tomorrow and Sunday everyone's on high alert.
"We're a bit concerned and we're making changes to our resourcing so that more resources go to vegetation fires than we'd normally send just to catch it in inception," Fire Communications Centre manager Iain Lunn said.
And while it has been a busier than normal start to the year in Canterbury, the whole east coast is at risk as dry grass feeds the flames.
"Once the fire catches hold, and the winds whip it up, it just takes away on us," Lunn said.
One house has been destroyed and four others badly damaged as the fires, fuelled by strong winds, moved quickly and unpredictably.