Residents on edge after fire breaks out in forest

Fire crews remained on watch last night near the remains of a forest blaze near Dunedin.

Three helicopters were deployed to fight the Signal Hill fire, which broke out in pine trees mid-afternoon. About 40 firefighters remained on duty last night.

Nearby residents in the suburb of Ravensbourne were on standby to evacuate at short notice if necessary.

Police said they were concerned that a potential change in wind direction could shift the fire. Heavy winds blanketed the area in smoke.

James Winfield said he was at work when he got a call from his partner alerting him to the fire.

"I thought she was just exaggerating but as I drove home I realised ... it's a pretty big fire," he said.

"At the moment I think it's going to be all right, the wind's no good. But Hannah [Boreham, his partner] is pretty nervous."

Jo McCullough of Timaru said she spotted smoke from the blaze while on the motorway about 3pm.

About 100 people had gathered at Opoho Park and near the Caledonian Ground to watch the blaze.

Rachel Neynens, of Dunedin, said she called emergency services after spotting the fire about 2.45pm.

"My boyfriend and I were on the athletics track getting ready to do some exercise and we saw ... smoke.

"Initially I thought maybe someone was having a bonfire or doing a controlled burn but a few seconds later it was quite big and I saw flames licking a tree."

In the North Island, four fires destroyed an area of native bush near Taupo and came perilously close to a rural home.

A helicopter with a monsoon bucket was called in to help firefighters extinguish the largest of the four fires.

A scrub fire on Signal Hill above Logan Park High School in north Dunedin. Photo / Jenny Elder

The blaze, which was fanned by strong southwesterly winds, spread through a roadside fence into a large gully of native plantings and came within about 100m of a home.

One of the other fires, near a farm gateway, destroyed a small patch of roadside grass and native plantings. The other fires, a short distance away, were extinguished before causing any damage.

Pumicelands rural fire manager Roger Nelson said investigations into the cause of the fires were under way but it was highly likely that all were deliberately lit.

He said given the wind conditions it was extremely fortunate the fires were brought under control before causing serious damage.

Around 16 firefighters including two fire crews from Taupo, a volunteer crew from Kinloch and rural firefighters turned out to bring the fires under control.