Dozens of fire fighters have been up all night battling a forestry fire in Canterbury.
Southern fire shift manager Mau Barbara said the fire, on Ashworths Beach Rd in Leithfield, now covered an area of 700m by 200m.
Calls had started coming in around 11.35pm.
There were ten fire appliances at the fire with up to 24 crew members, he said. A helicopter is heading out to join them this morning.
Barbara said there was no indication yet of how the fire started.
