A fire which burned through about 30ha in Canterbury is linked to a tyre blowing out on a vehicle, an initial investigation suggests.
A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said the blaze broke out near the railway lines near Burnham, south of Christchurch, about 1.30pm today. Some 22 trucks, tankers and support vehicles attended, with five helicopters in the air.
The spokesperson said there was a large fire and two smaller blazes next to SH1 near the intersection with Selwyn Lake and Telegraph Rds.
Crews from the Burnham Camp, Dunsandel, Rolleston, Kirwee, Wigram, Lincoln, Darfield South, Darfield, Leeston, Christchurch City, and Canterbury High Country stations attended.
The fire was mostly contained by 5pm, RNZ reported.
Fire and Emergency said the cause of the blaze would not be confirmed until an investigation was completed.
State Highway 1 between Dunsandel and Burnham was closed at 2.30pm but had reopened by 5pm, with long lines of traffic.
He said the large blaze appeared to have started next to the railway lines.
"There are a number of fire appliances and one helicopter I can see fighting the fire," King said.
"Traffic was backed up and down to a crawl before the diversion at Dunsandel."
- Star News and RNZ
