A large fire is raging at a tyre pile in Amberley, Canterbury, prompting a warning to households downwind.
Thick, dark plumes of hazardous smoke can be seen pouring from the blaze on Racecourse Rd this afternoon.
Residents downwind are asked to close their doors and windows and stay inside due to the thick black smoke, Fire and Emergency NZ says.
"If you are affected by the smoke, please don't hesitate to seek medical attention."
Emergency services were called to the Amberley tyre pile fire at 3.10pm, a Fire and Emergency NZ spokesperson told 1 NEWS.
Forty-five firefighters are battling the blaze, including units from Amberley, Waipara, Woodend, Waikari, Sefton, Rangiora and a command unit from Christchurch.
The fire continues to burn at a controversial site in Amberley. (Source: Other)
The fire is now considered contained, Fire and Emergency NZ says.
Canterbury DHB's community and public health unit is also warning the public about the dangers of the smoke, with sulphur dioxide given off as the tyres burn.
"The main contaminant from fires involving tyres is sulphur dioxide which can cause respiratory problems such as bronchitis, and can irritate your nose, throat and lungs," it says.
"It may cause coughing, wheezing, phlegm and asthma attacks. The effects are worse when you are exercising. Sulphur dioxide has been linked to cardiovascular disease."
The tyre pile on Racecourse Road has long been controversial.
Their removal was ordered in 2018 after a large blaze, caused by arson, at the site.
Environment Canterbury says it's "disappointed" to see the tyres on fire again "when we were so close to reaching a resolution to deal with them".
"We know the community will be outraged at this latest development, and we share that frustration," chief executive Stefanie Rixecker says.
"Environment Canterbury staff have been working extremely hard to progress the removal of the tyres. We have sought to ensure those who created this stockpile met that considerable cost, so ratepayers didn’t have to."
She says the agency will be doing everything it can "to ensure that anyone found responsible is held accountable" and will be monitoring the fire and its environmental effects.
Around 150,000 tyres are in the pile, according to the owner of the property.
He has leased the land to someone who used it to dump tyres, going beyond the agreement and leaving them in the lurch.
The property owner says he's "devastated" by the blaze and after years of work, they were just two months away from finally starting a recycling scheme.
In December, the director of one of the companies ordered to remove the tyres was sentenced for failure to carry out the enforcement order, according to Environment Canterbury .
Last May , a man who lived on a neighbouring property was sentenced for arson for the 2018 blaze.
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