Firefighters have contained a vegetation fire burning near Hanmer Springs in Canterbury and are working to extinguish hotspots this afternoon.
At its peak, nine helicopters and 45 firefighters were battling the fire which broke out alongside State Highway 7 at around 2.30pm on Saturday.
Nearby properties were evacuated as a precaution but residents have since returned, Fire and Emergency NZ assistant commander Dave Key said.
“No damage to the homes, and no damage to or no lost stock, we worked with local farmers to move their stock out of the immediate area.”
State Highway 7, which was closed during firefighting operations, has reopened with a 30km/ph and a warning there could be “occasional brief closures” while operations are carried out above or close to the road, Key said.
“The speed restriction and occasional closures are to ensure everybody’s safety. That includes our firefighters and pilots, who are working around the roadside, and motorists.
Key said the priority now was to strengthen the perimeter.
“Tonight, we’re going to set up a specialist drone team, and they will map the perimeter, looking for any hot spots, and it’ll inform our work going forward, over the next couple of days.”
