Fire crews are continuing to battle a scrub fire in Mackenzie Country tonight, which forced the evacuation of several properties along State Highway 80 this afternoon.
In a statement tonight, Fire and Emergency NZ says the blaze has burned through more than 2000 hectares of forestry and scrub on both sides of State Highway 80, near Twizel.
There is no threat to the Twizel township and Mount Cook village, and this isn't expected to change overnight or tomorrow, the statement says.
Teams are en route from Ashburton, Timaru and Temuka to help protect the remaining properties, and will remain on-scene with local crew and a command unit overnight.
Helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft resources were stood down at dusk, set to start back up again at dawn.
State Highway 8 has been closed due to smoke billowing across it, but police and NZTA are working to allow residents to pass through, Fire and Emergency says.
The blaze is expected to stay on the western side of State Highway 8.
Earlier this afternoon, a Fire and Emergency spokesperson told 1 NEWS the fire was spreading quickly on Mt Cook Rd, near Twizel.
Several properties were threatened and an attempt at saving one of those properties was abandoned.
One eyewitness driving through from Twizel told 1 NEWS the fire “built up really quickly in a very hot and blustery norwest wind”.
“There’s a very eerie light round the lake. We could see flames leaping up inland from the roadside just south off the Mr Cook turn-off,” she said.
It originally started in a grass area and spread to a forestry zone because of the strong wind, a Fire and Emergency spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said 14 helicopters, two fixed-wing aircraft and 10 appliances were responding to the incident. Ground crews were working on the western flank of the fire.
Emergency services were called to the fire at 11.25am, with crews from Burkes Pass, Omarama, Otematata, Lake Tekapo, Twizel and Timaru called.
MetService has issued a strong wind watch for the Canterbury High Country until 3am on Tuesday. Northwest winds may approach severe gale in some exposed areas.
Fire and Emergency said the strong winds have hampered attempts to control the fire, and they are forecast to continue overnight.
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