It has been another sleepless night for residents near Christchurch's Port Hills as ground crews managed to stop two fires overnight from spreading to people's homes.
Port Hills fire
Evacuated residents told RNZ the fire moved quickly and they had opened their gates to release their stock.
The fires have already claimed one life, after a helicopter helping to contain fight the fires crashed yesterday afternoon, killing the pilot.
The Selywn District principal rural fire officer, Douglas Marshall, told Morning Report they were providing property protection for six houses and a church in the Governor's Bay area overnight.
But he says a forecast wind change and cooler weather should make conditions a bit better for crews today
Our reporter Conan Young is watching the fire on the western edge of Governors Bay where he says it has hit a forestry block and the flames are reaching up to 20 metres in the air.
