Firefighters who battled strong northwest winds to contain three serious vegetation fires in the South yesterday were standing by overnight on the alert for flare-ups.
In the worst fire, six helicopters and nine fire crews fought a 100ha blaze near Dipton for several hours after it took hold about 10am.
It was eventually brought under control late yesterday afternoon.
Southern Rural Fire Service community engagement officer Sally Chesterfield said firefighters battled strong northwest winds that fanned the blaze across pine and other commercial forestry areas.
Commercial helicopters from Queenstown and Te Anau were called in to help.
A firefighter was due to monitor the area overnight and fire crews were scheduled to go out again early today, she said.
Earlier, a fire crew took more than three hours to put out a scrub fire near Mossburn.
The 1ha fire was in vegetation near the Wreys Bush-Mossburn Rd, a fire spokesman said.
The crew had to battle the warm wind-driven blaze in dangerous gusting conditions to eventually bring the fire under control.
There was no damage to property.
A fire near Waipahi had to be put out twice after it flared up again yesterday afternoon.
The initial 200sq m fire was attended by Pukerau, Gore and Clinton fire crews about 11.10am.
It flared up again about 2.40pm.
''They put the bulk of it out [this morning],'' the spokesman said.
''They left a farmer with a water tanker and he was to watch it, but he obviously didn't keep an eye on it for long enough.''
Gore and Pukerau fire crews attended the flare-up, which was put out in about 30 minutes.
It was not known yesterday what had caused any of the fires.
