Firefighters are battling several vegetation fires across the South Island this evening which have been fanned by strong winds.
Several helicopters with monsoon buckets and crews from five brigades are working to extinguish a fire on Fruitgrowers Rd near Alexandra.
Smoke from the blaze was blown over the Clyde and Alexandra townships but has now dispersed.
"The winds in the area have been horrific - thankfully, the face where the fire is burning is slightly sheltered, and we slammed extra resources onto it to make sure it didn’t impact the transmission lines from the dam," incident controller Bobby Lamont said.
A crew will remain at the scene overnight, and further ground crews will return in the morning,
A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said the fire is understood to have reignited from an earlier fire started by fireworks last night.
“It is moving uphill and not easy for crews to reach on the ground.”
Police have evacuated a nearby freedom camping area and people are being asked to stay away from the area.
It comes as multiple fires rage across the lower South Island. (Source: Supplied)
A fire in a 100-meter stand of trees at Templeton on the outskirts of Christchurch has now been contained. A crew will remain at the scene overnight.
Two helicopters, five fire trucks and four tankers worked to contain the fire, first reported shortly after 4pm.
Helicopters have been stood down and ground crews are now mopping up to ensure the fire is fully extinguished.
Crews from six brigades and a digger worked to contain a fire in a 3-hectare forestry block in Glenham, Southland.
One crew and a tanker will stay at the scene overnight, and others will return to extinguish the flames tomorrow.
Early indications are that that fire may also have reignited from an earlier fire in the are, said a spokesperson.
People who have recently lit outdoor fires are urged to check they are fully extinguished, as strong winds can fan old fires back to life.
SHARE ME