Fire crews from the Department of Conservation (Doc), and the Tekapo Volunteers Fire Brigade, South Canterbury Rural Fire District and Coastguard New Zealand attended the fire, which broke out on January 11, but Doc Central South Island regional fire manager Tom Barr said the island could still smoulder for weeks.
Mr Barr said the public were still asked to stay off the island as it was extremely unsafe, due to the high risk of falling trees.
Although a recovery plan and full assessment of damage and the effects on native fauna were still unknown, Doc staff had visited the island and it was thought about 60% of its pine trees had at least some fire damage.
''Much of the native shrubland on the northwestern side of the island has been affected but patches elsewhere remain intact.''
DOC and South Canterbury Rural Fire were still investigating the cause of the fire, he said.
