A 20-metre high pile of burning woodchips at a Christchurch demolition waste processing plant is being left to burn itself out as it's too dangerous for firefighters to extinguish.
A fire in a 20-metre high pile of woodchips in Christchurch is proving difficult to extinguish. Photo: Conan Young
The fire - at the Burwood Resource Recovery Park - started deep inside the pile, which is made up of a mixture of treated and non-treated shredded timber from demolished homes.
More than two dozen rural firefighters are ensuring the blaze doesn't spread while it burns itself out, and have built earth bunds around the perimeter to contain it.
Canterbury Medical Officer of Health Alistair Humphrey said smoke from the fire - which is blowing over nearby houses - was unlikely to be toxic, but people with pre-existing health conditions should take precautions.
The blaze is being fought by rural fire fighters using diggers and fire engines, including one from the airport.
Graeme Young, a nearby resident, said people were worried about the danger posed by the smoke from the burning treated timber.
He said the smoke plume reached about 400m into the sky.