Five helicopters, four with monsoon buckets, have reinforced crews battling a large, growing vegetation fire on the southern shores of Lake Wakatipu near Queenstown this morning.
The blaze, which has grown to 1200ha overnight, broke out near Walter Peak Station yesterday afternoon, cloaking the 1800m peak in smoke which has drifted towards Queenstown.
Ground and air operations resumed at the site after 7am this morning.
"Conditions are relatively calm at the moment but we expect things to get more challenging when the wind gets up this morning," Fire and Emergency NZ said in a statement.
Eleven firefighters are currently fighting the fire from the ground, Fire and Emergency NZ said in a statement, with additional crews arriving throughout the day to bring the number to 25.
In a 9am update, Assistant District Commander Nic McQuillan said the protection of the historic Walter Peak Station homestead and farm stock remained the priority.
"Smoke conditions may worsen in some areas on the opposite side of the lake during the day. Residents affected by smoke are advised to keep windows and doors closed and limit exposure where possible."
Boat operators were urged to stay at least 500m offshore to keep clear of where helicopters are operating, he added.
"This exclusion zone will be monitored by the Harbourmaster and Coastguard throughout the day to ensure public and firefighter safety."
Walter Peak is regularly visited by the TSS Earnslaw steamship, which takes passengers to the base of the mountain to visit the Walter Peak High Country Farm.
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