Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

A national insurance company assessor is asking rural home owners to have a fire plan in place after a rise in rural house fires last summer.

Bob McCoy from the Farmers Mutual Group says some of the fires may have been deliberately lit as a result of the financial downturn.

But he says other, accidental, fires could have been avoided, and he is urging that a fire plan is in place to protect lives and property.

Mr McCoy says the fire risk this summer is likely to be high, and in rural areas it can take firefighters some time to get to the scene.

He has also asked rural firefighters to take more care at fire scenes to preserve evidence, so they are able to work out how and where the blaze started.

In Central Otago, a complete fire ban comes into effect this weekend, two months earlier than last year.