Fire fighters will be keeping a watch overnight at the scene of a blaze that engulfed about two hectares of a pine plantation near Kaiapoi north of Christchurch.
Police are asking the public to avoid the cordoned area around the plantation while the scene is investigated. Photo: RNZ / Patrick Phelps
About 40 properties were evacuated after the blaze started around 2pm today.
The fire service has had a strong presence in the plantation and surrounding bush area, with several trucks and eight crews.
The Canterbury Police and Fire Service investigators remain in the area, dampening down any remaining hotspots as Pines Beach residents who were evacuated return home.
There have been no reports of any injuries, or properties damaged by the fire.
The fire has forced the evacuation of 40 properties. Photo: NZ Police
Pines Hill resident Melissa Haberfield said she could hear the fire from her house.
She said she heard the siren for the volunteer fire brigades go off and went and had a look from her house's balcony.
"We were upstairs in our house and heard the crackling noise and so went out onto the balcony and saw all the flames and smoke coming up behind the house, it was really loud the roaring and crackling of the trees being burnt."