Crews were called about 7.45pm to the scrub fire. Photo: Jason Swain / supplied
Six properties have been evacuated as a large scrub fire burns at Pukaki Downs, north of Twizel.
Crews were called about 7.45pm on Wednesday. Eleven appliances were called in from Twizel, Mt Cook, Omarama, Burkes Pass and Lake Tekapo.
Strong north-westerly winds were making fighting the blaze harder.
Some residents self-evacuated, Fire and Emergency said, while others were helped by police.
If anyone in the area feels unsafe from the fire, they are being asked to should self-evacuate.
Crews were called about 7.45pm to the scrub fire. Photo: Juliet Gardner / supplied
State Highway 80 Lake Pukaki, at the intersection with State Highway 8, has been closed, and will stay shut overnight.
"Crews are continuing to undertake reconnaissance of the fire and monitor its progress through the night, but active firefighting remains too dangerous due to the high winds in the area," Fire and Emergency said in a statement.
The blaze at Pukaki Downs. Photo: Jason Swain / supplied
Jason Swain, who lived near Twizel, said the fire was sending up a huge cloud of smoke and lighting up the night sky.
He lived about 15 kilometres away from the fire, and saw the flames while driving around Lake Pukaki, near a popular freedom camping area
"Huge cloud of smoke coming out from it, and then the fire's lighting that up into the sky - so you can see it from a long way away. I was driving towards it and you can see the light over the horizon, and then coming into Lake Pukaki, I think we're a little bit above it, so you can see a lot more flames."
Swain said the same conditions seen on Wednesday evening also spread the huge Ohāu fire three years ago.
In 2020, in neighbouring Ōhau, a devastating blaze spreading across more than 5500 hectares damaged or destroyed 48 properties. It was the most homes destroyed by a fire in the country's history.
