Smoke billowing into the sky in the vicinity of Canterbury's Eyrewell forest is thought to be a controlled burn on a farm.
A Christchurch City councillor, Deon Swiggs, has posted a picture of it.
"Looks like a fire of some sort has just started around the Eyrewell Forest or Eyreton area," he wrote. "Picture taken from the Waimakariri River near West Melton."
A Fire and Emergency NZ spokesman said: "It looks like a controlled burn by a farmer. We are still trying to get to the bottom of it."
![Signs of fire were seen near Eyrewell forest, north of the Waimakariri River in Canterbury. Map / Google](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/6XFM7W3AXLGNLPTVZ37LNP6EYM.jpg?auth=18efb252b931db659e49cbb1a1f4f2ba6aa7e6f057f9555375ac99548e3e3ea1&width=16&height=10&quality=70&smart=true)