A large number of Port Hills residents who were forced from their homes by fire yesterday gathered to hear the latest about the massive blaze.
Close to a 100 people attended the briefing at the Halswell Community Centre around 11am on Thursday.
Displaced neighbours hugged each other and some sat quietly with their head in their hands after a sleepless night wondering about the fate of their homes.
Fire and Emergency staff came off the fire ground to provide an update.
“I understand the frustration you might have," said fire operations commander Des Irving.
1News camera operator Mike Fitzgerald captured this vision on Thursday morning. (Source: 1News)
“The fire is still not contained. We’re concentrating a large majority of resources at the summit and Kennedy Bush.
Irving said that some resources had to be released to fight fires in Rolleston and Waimakariri.
"We have enough staff and we have enough resources."
Christchurch mayor Phil Mauger said that the joint state of local emergency with Selwyn District was called within 15 minutes.
'The main thing is, it allows [FENZ] to make instant decisions, rather than having to come back to us and play around with red tape. The other thing is, it gives police a hell of a lot more powers with cordons."
One resident asked if he would be able to go and grab stuff from his property as the fire has moved up.
Manager Dean Harker said that someone would be able to escort them from the community hub.
"Where we can, we will certainly accommodate people to go in and get that stuff."
Police forward commander Phil Newton said that they were ensuring that those who were allowed back to their properties could do so, but also that nobody gets through who shouldn't.
"We are there 24 hours a day, so at no stage do we leave your houses exposed."
Newton said that traffic management would be manning roads without residential properties.
"We have a secondary job, if FENZ decide the boundaries need to be changed and other houses need to be evacuated, then we will facilitate that."
Local controller Al Lawn, who also worked on the 2017 fire, said there was a lot of apprehension around.
"This is really hard for a lot of you who’ve been through this before, and I just want to acknowledge that. So reach out it you’re starting to feel a bit anxious.
"We really are here to help, and again this is hard, really hard."
Dominique Leeming, who lives on the corner of Worsleys Rd and Summit Rd, said she was appreciative of all the information they had been provided.
“So you know, it’s scary, it’s stressful but we are so appreciative of all the good work that’s being done to save our homes, and our live stock and pets and all of that.”
SHARE ME