A reminder to Cantabrians not to fly drones in the vicinity of the Port Hill fires

Two private drones were spotted at the weekend -- with one yesterday morning grounding Fire and Emergency's air attack for between 45 minutes to an hour.

Police say they haven't found the culprits, but they and the Civil Aviation Authority are actively investigating.

Fire and Emergency NZ Incident Controller Steve Kennedy says it's a huge safety risk, and helicopters cannot fly while private drones are in the area.

Emergency services are encouraging anyone who sees a drone in the area during the day, to contact 111