27 Mar 2021

Fire crews continue to battle large blaze in Canterbury high country

9:32 pm on 27 March 2021

Fire crews are continuing to work to contain a large vegetation blaze that's ripped through 300 hectares of rough Canterbury terrain.

A helicopter with a monsoon bucket heads out to tackle the fire.

Five helicopters are being used to extinguish the fire near Castle Hill (file picture). Photo: RNZ / Logan Church

The fire has spread across high country land around the Broken River Hut, near Castle Hill, and was first reported on Friday afternoon.

Six helicopters and four ground crews from both Fire and Emergency and the Department of Conservation have been battling the blaze today.

The area shift manager Simon Lyford said that a fire crew will stay onsite over night and helicopters will return at 8am tomorrow.

Earlier in the day a spokesperson said the fire is in an extremely remote area, inaccessible by road.

MetService was forecasting warm weather for the region today, with the high country expected to reach 26C, with strong northwest winds.