Nelson fire likely to burn into next week, could flare up again this afternoon

Fire and Emergency New Zealand says the fire near Nelson could flare up again this afternoon as wind conditions change, and is likely to burn into next week.

Speaking to media this morning, Incident Controller John Sutton said conditions had become challenging yesterday due to a change in wind and humidity, leading the fire to increase in size to about 2000 hectares.

One shed was lost about 10pm yesterday, adding to the one house which has so far been lost in the fire.

"We had a challenging afternoon yesterday with the fire due to wind conditions that developed from afternoon onwards," Mr Sutton said.

"We know that the wind is most likely going to increase and turn to the northeast around midday.

"This morning for us is absolutely crucial - we're poised all around the fire to benefit from the benign conditions this morning ... this afternoon will be a repeat of what happened yesterday."

Mr Sutton said the fire is likely to continue to burn into next week, albeit hopefully staying within its current perimeter.

"I think there's another 48 hours of very hard firefighting before we can start talking about control," he said.

"Some of the firefighters, it's their fifth day and I can see fatigue is an issue and it's something we have to manage ... they're doing 12-hour shifts , it's arduous and it's hard work."

Police urged people in the area of Wakefield to remain vigilant, to keep their cellphones on them, and to keep an ear out for any official warnings to evacuate.

Self-evacuation was also a sensible option for those who are able to.

Early childhood centres, kindergartens and schools in the Wakefield area will be closed today.

The latest information for those in the area can be accessed on the Nelson Tasman Civil Defence Facebook page .