The cost of fighting the blaze that tore through more than 25ha of forestry and scrub on Signal Hill has come to more than $100,000, but the Otago Rural Fire Authority is yet to decide if it will attempt to recoup the outlay.
The fire investigation into the blaze continues, but the authority has already stated it was not caused naturally.
Fire authority operations manager Graeme Still said this week he expected the investigation report to be at least two weeks away.
''Sometimes it can take up to three months,'' he said. ''It depends on how the investigation is going and what information has become available.''
The blaze, which started near the bottom of Signal Hill in the scrub behind Logan Park High School, led to the evacuation of three homes in Ravensbourne on December 27, and required multiple fire appliances and three helicopters with monsoon buckets to put out.
Mr Still said invoices for the firefighting effort were still coming in, but the cost came to more than $100,000.
It was too early to speculate on whether the authority would attempt to recover costs.
''We can't determine that without having all the information,'' he said.
''That's a process we have to go through.''
While the fire did not start naturally, it was unclear if it had been deliberately lit, started due to negligence or was entirely accidental.
''That hasn't been determined yet,'' Mr Still said.
Nevertheless the authority was left counting the cost of the effort.
''It's a cost we could do without.''
