Fresh images highlight the extent of the damage caused by a vegetation fire believed to have been started by sparks from the brakes of a freight train in Kirwee, Canterbury.
The dramatic images taken by the Herald, capture the scorched earth mere metres away from homes and buildings.
The pictures show the once-vibrant Kirwee landscape wearing scars of charred devastation, blackened and ashed by the scrub fire.
![Dramatic images capture the scorched earth mere metres away from homes and buildings. Photo / George Heard](https://www.nzherald.co.nz/resizer/v2/HBJ4JIA6CJFUDC6XE63TNQA2NY.jpg?auth=ed91d12d1a62e0f2d326198f724961e615d079406914e0637dd50889659168fa&width=16&height=9&quality=70&smart=true)
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) spokesman told the Herald it received multiple calls about fires along railway tracks between Rolleston and Darfield, west of Christchurch, around 4.15 yesterday afternoon.