Queenstown vegetation blaze contained to 12ha area as helicopters continue to battle fire

Multiple fire units and helicopters are battling the flames on Skippers Rd in Long Gully, 22km from Queenstown's city centre. Photo / Fire and Emergency

Firefighters are still battling to get a vegetation fire under control, after it blazed through the night on Thursday and today in north Queenstown.

Helicopters are continuing to waterbomb pockets of the burning vegetation on steep faces above Skippers Rd in Long Gully, 22km from the city centre.

“Firefighters have made good progress today and have contained the fire to a 12ha area of retired high-country farmland and wilding pines,” said incident controller Nic McQuillan.

“There has been some damage to fences. We have yet to establish the extent of any damage to other property,” he said.

An aerial reconnaissance flight is planned for early tomorrow morning when thermal imaging will identify the location of any remaining hotspots. The results of the flight will determine the tactics for ground crews tomorrow.

Firefighters have contained the fire to a 12ha area of retired high-country farmland and wilding pines. Photo / Fire and Emergency

Earlier today, four ground crews and three helicopters were fighting the blaze which started shortly after 6pm on Thursday.

“We are using helicopters to knock the active fire while the conditions are in our favour this morning,” said Mark Mawhinney, Fire and Emergency incident controller.

“Ground crews will be working to secure the perimeter along the Skippers Rd and extinguish hotspots.”

Of concern to Fire and Emergency is the fire’s proximity to several local mountain biking trails.

The trails, which are popular with mountain bikers, would lead them close to the fire ground.

These trails include the Skippers Pack Track, which is affected by the fire, the Coronet Loop below Greengate Saddle, the Pack Track and Sack Trail and Atleys Terrace Track.

A 10-day mountain biking festival was set to kick off today.

As a result of the blaze, Skippers Rd will remain closed to the public tonight, while mountain bikers and other recreational users are asked to keep off the trails in the Long Gully area.

This does not affect the mountain biking event planned for the south face of Coronet Peak tomorrow, Fire and Emergency said.

Mawhinney is also reminding people not to fly drones in the area because they are a serious hazard to helicopters.