The loss of a $100,000 water tanker on Saturday could not have come at a worse time for the Central Otago District Council Rural Fire Authority.
The tanker damaged in Saturday's incident near Alexandra was one of three which operated in the district.
It could carry 8000 litres of water, and had been dispatched with all volunteer fire brigade callouts around Alexandra in summer months.
CODC principal rural fire officer Owen Burgess said the district had another tanker based at Tarras, and one at Ranfurly.
To have the Alexandra tanker out of operation during a time of high fire risk was bad luck for the authority, he said.
"To replace the tanker would cost us well over $100,000.
"It's now one of our resources that we haven't got and we need it as soon as possible, especially this time of year in our busy fire season."
Mr Burgess said insurance agents would inspect the tanker once it had been hauled from the accident site.
