Six fire crews and six helicopters have continued working to control a large fire south of Invercargill today.
Photo: Supplied / Ngāi Tahu
The fire at Awarua started on Saturday and has burned through 1300 hectares of conservation wetland.
The operation was put on hold yesterday due to high winds winds.
Incident controller Mark Mawhinney said crews have minimised the spread of the fire in the Waituna Wetland today.
Crews are working this afternoon to reduce hot spots identified by thermal camera.
Weather conditions are expected to remain stable in coming days.
The head of Te Rūnaka o Awarua said the wetland is extremely significant with tīpuna (ancestors) buried nearby.
Te Rūnaka o Awarua Kaiwhakahaere Dean Whaanga said the Waituna Wetland was used by generations of Awarua tīpuna as a giant food basket to feed whānau living at nearby settlements, and was home to many memories and traditions.
"We will have to wait until the fire is extinguished to fully understand what has been lost," Whaanga said earlier this week.
Photo: Supplied / Ngāi Tahu
