Speed of Southland fire slowing as wind drops

The speed of a massive scrub fire which broke out at Awarua, near Bluff, yesterday is slowing as wind speeds drop, the Southern Rural Fire Authority says.

Principal Rural Fire Officer Mike Grant said while the fire spread further overnight, burning through another 200ha of scrub, including part of a small pine plantation, it was slowing.

"The fire has developed into two fronts and authorities are using helicopters to fight both of these, with flame heights at the front 6-7m high," Mr Grant said.

Seven helicopters were in use, with six fighting the fire and the seventh acting as an aerial observation platform. Two ground crews were also supporting the helicopters in fighting the fire.

The wind was blowing at about 30km/h but had shifted around to the northeast, which was helping keep the fire away from the transmission lines to the Tiwai Point aluminium smelter, Mr Grant said.

"The weather forecast for the rest of the day is good and bad," he said.

"The good news is rain is forecast for later in the day, the bad news is the wind is forecast to shift around to the west and this would push the fire directly towards the Tiwai road."

A major concern yesterday was the threat the fire posed to the power supply to the smelter.

- NZPA