It is hoped work can start today on sealing off a smouldering mountain of tyres north of Christchurch.
The blaze while it was engulfing the pile of tyres last week. Photo: Supplied / Hurunui District Council
Smoke has been coming from the 160,000 tyres dumped near Amberley since they were allegedly set alight almost a week ago.
Canterbury Regional Council spokesperson Andrew Arps said it was hoped the pile would have cooled down enough by Thursday afternoon to allow diggers to pour soil on top of it and smother the fire.
"We certainly feel for the community. It was an horrendous event. That smoke, although it has diminished, the reality is it is still there. We've probably been pretty lucky that predominantly it's actually been blowing away from most of the population, the likes of Amberley and things."
It was not known how long it would be before the pile was cool enough to allow it to be taken to a landfill.
Arps said the cost, which the council had estimated to be about $1 million, would be met by the council and the landowner.
However, a neighbour, Helen Butler, remained sceptical about council promises to deal with the problem after years of inaction.
She would believe it when she saw it and was frustrated by the impact it had had on her life and her flower growing business, she said.
"Your basic jobs that you've got to do, you know hang the washing on the line, feed the animals, mow the lawns, I'm not going to mow the lawns and breath any deeper than I have to at the moment. And losing income because I can't be out picking in this is not fair."
There needed to be a better system for dealing with used tyres, she said.