Written by POW Science Alliance member, Dr. Nathanael Melia
New Zealand’s ski fields are known for crisp air and deep powder – not wildfires. But as the climate warms, wildfire risk is creeping into our winter playgrounds. This emerging risk has serious implications for ski areas and surrounding communities, affecting everything from ski infrastructure, insurance, and local economies. Here’s how climate change is fuelling more frequent and severe wildfires, what recent fires in New Zealand and abroad foretell and how we can adapt to protect our mountains
Flames in the Snow: Wildfires Reaching Alpine Areas
New Zealand has already seen wildfires near ski areas. The 2017 Port Hills fire burned 2,000 hectares over 66 days and destroyed homes, while the 2020 Lake Ōhau village fire destroyed 48 homes and over 5,000 hectares. Recent summers have seen fires in Canterbury high country, including a 980-hectare blaze near Castle Hill in December and a 300-hectare fire in 2021. Even the Queenstown lakes region has faced fires, with Wānaka seeing one on its lake shores. These events underline reality: wildfires are no longer “someone else’s” problem. They are occurring in and around our mountain towns, raising alarms for the winter sports community.
The impact on ski towns can be severe. Lake Ōhau’s tourism took a hit, and ski infrastructure like lodges, lifts, and roads could face similar threats. Australia’s 2019–2020 ‘Black summer’ fires destroyed Selwyn Snow Resort, which took over three years and millions to rebuild — a scenario that could hit Mount Hutt or Cardrona. Ski resorts are major economic drivers, so closures could mean lost jobs and income. Methven, the gateway to Canterbury’s ski fields, would likewise face hardship if a wildfire damaged ski infrastructure or the natural landscape that draws hikers and bikers. Building economic resilience means planning for worst-case scenarios – having diversification, emergency funds, and recovery plans ready. While ski fields are above the treeline, they remain vulnerable to fast-moving grass and scrub fires. Planning for worst-case scenarios is essential for resilience.
Climate Change Fueling the Fire
Why are wildfires a concern for ski country now? My research shows that Climate change is a potential game-changer. New Zealand’s fire authorities and scientists warn that a warming climate is making wildfires more frequent and more intense. Heatwaves and droughts are on the rise, especially the eastern South Island where many ski areas are. As temperatures climb, rainfall patterns intensify, vegetation dries out earlier and more often, creating fuel even in places that used to stay damp or snowy. My research found that climate projections show significant increases in extreme fire weather days and longer fire seasons, the most at risk areas are inland Canterbury and Otago (our winter playgrounds).
We’re already seeing the fingerprints of climate change on fires. At the extreme end, I calculated the weather conditions similar to Australia’s Black Summer fires now occasionally occur in Central Otago, and will become more frequent in Mackenzie Country, and Marlborough too with continued warming.
The Australian fires were super-charged by record heat and drought. Our regional climates are more localised than those in Australia, but those conditions are no longer foreign to New Zealand. The 2020 Lake Ōhau fire, was driven by extreme winds and heat after a long dry spell. In the Port Hills fire, I noted the fire danger was “Very High to Extreme” due to low humidity and high temperatures. Conditions were “Very Extreme”, an extended classification I advocated for including to certain regions.
The global story is the same: a hotter, drier climate is more flammable. Even snowy places are experiencing unprecedented fires. Recently, California suffered destructive wildfires in what should be its rainy winter season, defying notions of a contained “fire season.” One analysis found that 2025 fires around LA (in January!) were made 35% more likely by climate change, after an abnormally hot, rainless autumn. As one advocate put it, “fires raging in mid-winter in the USA highlights that the world has entered a new phase – the Pyrocene – and that our old ways of fighting fires need to change.”
Year-round fire risk is becoming the new normal on a warming planet.
What does this mean? Our ski towns and alpine forests are now on the frontlines of climate change. Snow and cooler temperatures no longer guarantee protection from fires. We must prepare for hotter, drier seasons, more lightning storms, and even winter fires. Smoke could also choke valleys, affecting air quality, and tainting the ski season if smoke lingers (as happened in North America when wildfire smoke settled on glaciers and snowfields). Climate change is a threat multiplier that takes existing hazards and amps them up.
Strained Resources: Fighting Fires Here and Abroad
One might ask: if wildfires do ignite near our ski fields, can’t we just throw everything to douse the flames? New Zealand’s firefighters are skilled, but resources are limited, and climate change is stretching them thin. Aerial firefighting is crucial in rugged terrain. In Castle Hill, multiple helicopters were crucial to halting the fire’s advance, but New Zealand and Australia share these resources with North America, creating challenges as fire seasons increasingly overlap. Fires in California during Australia’s summer have already strained this system. As one report noted, the shoulder period when planes undergo maintenance and move between continents is “rapidly disappearing”. Friends of the Earth warned that mid-winter fires in California mean Australia can “no longer rely on northern hemisphere nations for aircraft and firefighters”. The same applies in reverse – if Australia’s and New Zealand’s fire seasons start earlier or end later, we will have fewer resources to spare to help North America.
Recently, Kiwi and Aussie personnel have been deployed to help fight fires in the U.S., and U.S. firefighters have come south to help us. Those exchanges remind us that we’re in this together – if everyone is burning, everyone could be shorthanded. This strain is also about people and money. Fighting fires is expensive and dangerous.
To relieve pressure we must prevent the worst fires from happening in the first place through better land management and climate action, and ensuring adequate resources, investment and planning is essential to reducing this pressure.
When multiple large fires hit simultaneously (eg Canterbury, Otago and Nelson all have fires), Fire and Emergency NZ can be stretched to its limits. More frequent fires mean more exposure for firefighters and more equipment wear and tear. It also means tough choices – if a wildfire breaks out near a ski area at the same time as one near a town, authorities will prioritise.
Infrastructure, Insurance, and Community Resilience
If a wildfire hits a ski field or community, the damage can be severe and long-lasting. Ski infrastructure, including wooden lodges and lift towers, is highly vulnerable to fire, and recovery could take years, potentially causing ski areas to miss multiple seasons. Loss of vegetation can also lead to erosion and landslides.
Insurance is a major concern, as insurers are increasingly cautious about wildfire risks, with some raising premiums or withdrawing coverage, as seen in California and Australia. Already, industry reviews note that “higher temperatures and reduced rainfall are contributing to an increased wildfire risk, particularly along the eastern parts” of New Zealand.
New Zealand’s Natural Hazards Commission (Toka Tū Ake) – provides a public insurance scheme that covers damage from certain natural disasters. Wildfires, are not currently covered. The principles of the scheme – collective responsibility and preparedness for natural hazards – can be applied to wildfire risk too. Adapting its framework could help protect climate-exposed communities and maintain economic resilience. Insurance is key to this.
Adapting to a Fiery Future: What We Can Do
The picture painted so far is concerning – but there is much we can do to mitigate wildfire risk and adapt to the new reality. Governments, insurers, the outdoor industry, and local communities all play a role.
1. Smarter Land Management and Planning: Agencies can reduce fire risk by clearing wilding pines and dry scrub near communities, creating fire breaks, and using controlled burns. Queenstown Lakes District has started closing reserves like Mt Iron during high fire danger and is working with residents on risk reduction.
Councils should limit building in high-risk zones and enforce defensible space. Ski operators could clear space around infrastructure, use fire-resistant materials, and install sprinklers or water tanks, possibly using snowmaking reservoirs. Australian ski areas have used snow guns to protect buildings — a tactic New Zealand could adopt if needed and think about dual use for summer bike parks.
2. Boost Firefighting Capacity: Investment is required to strengthen Fire & Emergency NZ by adding aerial assets, training more firefighters, and using drones for early detection. Improve mutual aid agreements for cross-border support and develop improved fire danger rating systems tailored to NZ’s changing climate, which will help anticipate extreme fire weather and pre-position resources. The key is to not be caught flat-footed. We know the risk is rising, so decision makers should stress test, plan and budget as if major fires in alpine areas will happen.
3. Insurance and Financial Resilience: The industry, as noted in this review, should reward policyholders who implement risk reduction measures like firebreaks, and collaborate with the government on wildfire education and risk modeling. Strengthening the Natural Hazards Commission and including wildfire in national risk-pooling schemes provide a safety net. After all, wildfires – like earthquakes – are natural disasters that can overwhelm even the best individual efforts.
4. Community Action and Advocacy: Lastly, the outdoor community and general public have crucial roles. Local residents can form FireSmart committees, volunteer with rural fire units, and make sure they have evacuation plans. Simple steps like keeping grass low, cleaning gutters, and knowing the fire danger level can make a big difference. Outdoor enthusiasts, including skiers and snowboarders, also have a voice that can influence policy. Protect Our Winters (POW) and other advocacy groups rally the outdoor community to demand climate action – this is ultimately the long-term solution to the wildfire problem. By speaking up for strong climate policies (like emissions reductions and renewable energy) and supporting sustainable land-use, we address the root cause that’s turning our hillsides into tinderboxes. It’s also important to support initiatives that build resilience in communities: eg funding volunteer fire brigades, or community resilience plans. The insurance review mentioned above concludes that “insurers, governments, and communities must collaborate to build resilience against climate-related risks.”
Collaboration is key – no single entity can solve this alone.
Protecting Our Winters (and Summers)
The phrase “Protect Our Winters” isn’t just about preserving snow for ski season – it’s about protecting the whole mountain environment year-round. Wildfires in our ski regions represent a direct threat to that way of life, but also a call to action. They remind us that climate change is here, now, and personal. It’s not only melting glaciers and shortening ski seasons; it’s also igniting fires on the very slopes we cherish.
The increasing wildfire risk to New Zealand’s ski fields is a stark example of why climate resilience matters. It brings into focus the interconnectedness of environmental health, community safety, and economic vitality. We’ve seen what can happen: from the Port Hills to Lake Ōhau to Castle Hill, fires have left scars on the land and lessons in their wake. Globally, from California’s blazes to Australia’s blackened ski lifts, we have warnings of what the future could hold if we fail to act.
The good news is we are not helpless. All fires here are directly or indirectly caused by human actions, from accidental ignitions to risky land practices. We have the agency to mitigate fire risk by changing behaviours. Through better vegetation management, stricter fire protocols, or simply being more conscious about interacting with our environment, each of us can help. In acknowledging that fires are human-caused, we are given a chance to reimagine and rebuild our practices – ensuring our cherished outdoor communities remain safe and resilient in a warming world.
By adapting now, we can make our mountain towns tougher targets for any fire that does break out. By standing together – outdoor lovers, emergency services, policymakers, insurers – we can innovate and share solutions to keep our mountains safe and thriving.
New Zealand’s ski fields symbolise adventure and natural beauty. With smart action and commitment to climate resilience, they can also become symbols of how we confronted the climate challenge. Together, we can ensure that the only “fire on the slopes” we talk about is the one in our legs after an epic day of skiing. It’s time to safeguard our snow by fighting the heat. The mountains are calling, and they need our protection.
Sources:
- Aotearoa New Zealand’s 21st-Century Wildfire Climate, N. Melia (nathanael@climateprescience.com).
- RNZ News – Port Hills fire (2017) destroyed homes, burned ~2000 ha, took 66 days to extinguish rnz.co.nz.
- Fire and Emergency NZ – Lake Ōhau fire (2020) destroyed 48 homes, burned ~5043 ha fireandemergency.nz
- RNZ News – Castle Hill/Canterbury high country fire (Dec 2024) burned ~980 ha, destroyed lodge rnz.co.nz.
- Otago Daily Times – Lake Wānaka fire burned hundreds of hectares (example of local wildfire) odt.co.nz.
- Ski Area Management (Australia) – Selwyn Snow Resort destroyed by bushfire (Jan 2020), charred lifts and buildings saminfo.com.
- World Resources Institute – California’s unseasonal winter wildfires; climate change role in increasing fire risk wri.org.
- Mirage News / Friends of the Earth – Mid-winter fires in U.S. (“era of the pyrocene”), shrinking ability to share firefighting aircraft miragenews.com.
- Wildfire Today – Trans-Pacific firefighting cooperation (138 Aussie/Kiwi personnel to US in 2018) wildfiretoday.com.
- Insurance Business NZ – Climate threats in NZ insurance: wildfire risk rising in eastern regions insurancebusinessmag.com.
- Consorcio (Tina Mitchell) – NZ’s Natural Hazards insurance scheme pools risk, ensures insurance availability consorsegurosdigital.com.
- Insurance Business NZ – Adaptation strategies: restrict building in fire zones, reward risk reduction, collaboration needed insurancebusinessmag.com.