Two helicopters are assisting in the battle against a fire on a hillside near Middlemarch this afternoon.
The fire off Gladbrook Rd, west of the township at Middlemarch, started as a controlled burn yesterday, a Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said.
The fire reignited and jumped the fire break this morning under strong winds.
Crews from Middlemarch and Waihola were called to the fire, first reported about 11.30am.
The fire was fairly well contained by 1.15pm.
However, with crews expecting winds to pick up again this afternoon and evening, they continued to work to fully extinguish the fire, the spokesman said.
