50 people battle blaze in Motueka forest

It took 50 people to contain a blaze on a Motueka hillside this afternoon. Photo / File

A fire covering more than two hectares of a pine-covered hillside near Nelson required 50 people to contain the blaze this afternoon.

The blaze may have been sparked by a solar panel system, initial investigations suggest. It's the fourth fire the Nelson firefighters have attended in the past week - the other three were lit by lightning strikes.

A homeowner in the Motueka Valley called 111 at 12.30pm to report a fire burning behind their house, according to a statement from Fire and Emergency NZ.

It had spread into a steep hillside of 10-year-old pines and was burning uphill.

At the height of the fire, 50 people were involved on site, including volunteer fire crews from Tapawera, Ngatimoti, Tasman, Upper Moutere and Brightwater and silviculture crews from Nelson Forests Ltd and Tasman Pine.

Three helicopters were also used to fight the fire, the statement said.

The fire was contained at 2.15pm, with 2.5ha burnt.

"Owners of a property south of the fire were put on notice in case the fire could not be contained. Once the fire was contained they were notified," the statement said.

"Crews are working through to nightfall dampening down hotspots, with a crew staying overnight to monitor the site. The dry conditions meant the fire has burnt deeper into the ground and larger material, so requires more effort to completely extinguish it."

A fire investigator is trying to determine how the fire started, but there are suspicions it may be associated with a solar power panel system.

The coastal area around Tasman Bay through to Tapawera and the eastern hills behind Nelson and Richmond are particularly dry, the fire service said. The spring grass growth is drying off rapidly, making conditions ideal for fires to start.

The fire service is asking people to be vigilant and careful when doing anything outdoors that creates sparks or heat.

Permits are required to light fires in the open air. Details on obtaining a permit are available at www.checkitsalright.nz.