Ashburton Volunteer Fire Brigade members responded in the early hours of Tuesday morning to an illegal rubbish fire.
The fire was called in by someone who had noticed the flames from the backyard of a Hampstead property.
Deputy chief Andy Rattray said while some may want to burn rubbish to avoid having to pay dump fees, this was not allowed in Ashburton.
‘‘We asked them not to do it again obviously, because it’s prohibited in the town boundary,’’ Rattray said.
Firefighters extinguished the blaze on the ground in the rubbish pile, which measured about 2m wide by 2m long.
Environment Canterbury air quality regulations dictate outdoor fires are prohibited on properties under 2ha.
The only exception is outdoor cooking, if the smoke is not offensive beyond the property boundary.
And a resource consent is needed for burning green waste.
