Queenstown residents’ new year started off with a bang when multiple properties were evacuated due to a fast-spreading blaze sparked by fireworks.
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) spokeswoman said crews from Arrowtown and Frankton were called to Lower Shotover about 11pm on Sunday after reports of bushes on fire.
Firefighters found the blaze which then started to spread to surrounding properties, forcing residents to evacuate.
"Fortunately, everything was dealt to before any structures were threatened."
Fenz believed the fire was caused by people lighting fireworks in the area.
The fire was extinguished at 12.30am.
In Wānaka, crews were called to a bushfire on a hill at 11.15pm.
There were three separate fires, each 30sq m in size and believed to be caused by fireworks, Fenz said.
Eight fire appliances and two support vehicles responded.
The fire was deemed extinguished by 12.30am and was monitored throughout the night.
A fire investigator was at the scene yesterday.
At 11.45pm on Sunday, crews were called to a grass fire in Bannockburn.
"Due to the high fire danger in the area, additional resources were called.
"It was spreading quite quickly, and upon arrival we found a fire 1ha in size heading up a gully," the Fenz spokeswoman said.
Crews from Cromwell, Clyde, Luggate and Tarras were called and two helicopters were placed on stand-by.
The helicopters were not needed and crews managed to get the fire contained by 12.30am and extinguished by 1.20am.
All three blazes occurred in areas under a fire ban.
The fires followed Fenz "urging" Otago residents not to light fireworks on New Year’s Eve, a historically very busy night for firefighters.
Fenz community education manager Adrian Nacey said in past years they had seen people store fireworks bought for Guy Fawkes in November to light during the summer months.
"New Year’s Eve and the summer months is not the time to be setting off fireworks — particularly with the approaching El Nino weather conditions that are forecast to bring hotter, drier and windier conditions in many parts of Aotearoa New Zealand."
The message did not deter many new year revellers in the South.
Christchurch crews were just as busy with a fire in a roof caused by fireworks in Hoon Hay in the early hours of yesterday and a 50m blaze in Woodend which spread to a shed.
