KEY POINTS:
Firefighters were today mopping up hot spots after battling a 44-hectare fire in a forestry block west of Bulls, in the Manawatu, yesterday.
A Fire Service spokesman said more than 100 firefighters, eight pumps, seven tankers and six helicopters fought strong winds to contain the blaze, which began around 11am yesterday.
High winds, dry conditions and felled timber in the area caused problems for firefighters, the spokesman said.
The fire, caused by a tractor doing farm work, at one stage headed towards houses on the outskirts of Bulls, 31km northwest of Palmerston North.
It travelled 2.5km throughout the day, including 500m in 30 minutes at one point.
The fire was contained yesterday evening, and four rural fire ground crews, assisted by a 17-tonne digger and a bulldozer, are mopping up operations today.
With Ohakea air base nearby, the Civil Aviation Authority has declared an exclusion zone for aircraft in the area until at least 3pm today.
Wanganui District Council rural fire officer Kevin Smith said he expected the fire to continue for a few more days.
"While the flames will be extinguished, the fire has burned into the ground. That means firefighters have to literally turn over every hot sport to make sure it's out," he told the Wanganui Chronicle.
- NZPA
