1500ha of bush destroyed in Chatham Islands blaze

A Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130 Hercules conducted an aerial survey assess the scale and spread of the blaze.

More than 1500ha of bush has been destroyed by fire in the Chatham Islands which is now threatening conservation land.

The New Zealand Defence Force sent a plane to the Chatham Islands to assess the scale of the bushfire now threatening nature reserves.

Air Commodore Darryn Webb, the Air Component Commander, said a Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft would conduct an aerial survey to help Fire and Emergency New Zealand determine the location, scale and spread of the blaze.

The defence force provided the aerials photographs to Fire and Emergency New Zealand to help them decide how they could assist in controlling the bushfire.

A photo from a Royal New Zealand C-130 of a bush fire on the Chatham Islands to assess how to control the blaze. Photo / New Zealand Defence Force

A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said the bushfire did not currently pose a risk to people or structures, but had burnt through more than 1500 hectares and was threatening conservation land.

Chatham Islands is an archipelago in the Pacific about 800km east of the South Island.

A photo taken from a Royal New Zealand C-130 of a bush fire on the Chatham Islands. Photo / New Zealand Defence Force.

About 600 people live on two of the 10 islands that make up the Chathams and rely on conservation, tourism, farming and fishing.