Aerial shots reveal damage wreaked by huge Hawke's Bay forest blaze

Land is sprayed pink as an aircraft dropped its load of Firetrol fire retardant (Tuesday 7 January). Photo / Supplied

The full extent of the Tangoio forest fires has been revealed in aerial photos taken by those tasked with fighting it.

Photos captured from Fire and Emergency helicopters on Tuesday and Wednesday show how successful the fight to keep the 350 hectare from jumping Tangoio Settlement Rd was, as well as just how much greenery there was that could have burned in the area.

Fifty-five firefighters are still at the scene as the fight to put it out moves into a third day.

Seventy people in total have continued to fight the blaze (Wednesday January 8). Photo / Supplied

Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) incident controller Trevor Mitchell said the focus of today's effort would still be on securing the perimeters of the blaze, to prevent the potential for it to spread further than the 350 hectares it has already burned through.

Seventy people in all, which includes forestry crews, are fighting the blaze today.

The fire, which is now fully contained, is not completely out, with some areas in the middle still burning.

No helicopters are due to fly on Wednesday, they remain on standby (Wednesday January 8). Photo / Supplied

One home evacuated as a result of the Tangoio forest fires (Wednesday January 8). Photo / Supplied

There are no helicopters flying on Wednesday, but they remain on standby.

Hawke's Bay Civil Defence Emergency Management Group said they are "unlikely" to be used as the weather conditions are "very favourable" today.

Tangoio Settlement Road is still closed at the junction with Waipatiki Road, but a Mitchell advised people to keep their distance.

"We ask that people stay away from the area while our personnel work to bring the fire under control," Mitchell said.

The fire broke out on Monday mid-morning on forest land near Tangoio Settlement Rd and at one point was burning over both Forest Management New Zealand and Pan Pac forests.

The scene at Tangoio on Wednesday morning. Photo / Hawke's Bay Civil Defence

It got within a few hundred metres of Tangoio Settlement Rd on Monday afternoon, before fire crews had to abandon their posts in darkness due to high winds and tough terrain.

Tuesday's fight saw the blaze contained by roughly 2pm.

Mitchell said people should expect to see some smoke as some of the forest skid sites (areas within a forest where harvested logs are processed) burn over the next few days.