Fire crews worked through the night after a bonfire spread to a neighbouring pile of wood and threatened to engulf a rural Winton house and shed early this morning.
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said crews from Browns, Hedgehope and Winton were called to an out-of-control bonfire at 1.15am at a rural address south of Winton.
The 15m x 15m bonfire spread to a second pile of logs which threatened a house and shed on the property.
Crews worked a long shift early this morning to get the blaze under control and were only stood down at 5.40am, the spokesman said.
A digger had to be brought in to open up piles of burning wood to fully dampen down hot spots and extinguish the fire.
