Two homeowners will meet with the FENZ incident controller this morning. Photo: Supplied/ Scott Aronsen
A wildfire burning near Lake Pukaki in Canterbury is contained and evacuated residents are allowed to return home.
The fire broke out from a farmer's controlled burn-off of slash from a wilding pines clearing operation on Monday afternoon, and grew to cover 50 hectares.
Four properties, two of which were already vacant, were evacuated as a precaution.
Canterbury's State Highway 80 has fully reopened.
Fire and Emergency incident controller Don Geddes said the fire largely burnt down overnight.
"Those people that were evacuated last night have been allowed back home. We're working to establish a safe perimeter here this morning and we'll make an assessment around lunchtime or this afternoon whether we hand it back to the landowner for the duration," he said.
"We're just working on the ends of the windrows that are closest to the roads we're trying to tidy up and get them burnt out or just wet down if they're too close to the roads."
Geddes said drivers should exercise caution travelling through the area.
"It's immediately adjacent to State Highway 8 and State Highway 80, and there's still a bit of smoke drift across the road."
