-
Fire north-west of Dunedin - Source: ONE News -
Watch Video
-
Related
The drawn out battle to contain a huge forest fire in Otago has taken a turn for the worse.
It is one of the biggest fires Dunedin has seen in years with over 800 hectares having already burnt to the ground.
Principal rural fire officer Graeme Still says everyone at the main operation centre is starting to tire as they work relentlessly to control the fire.
A team of 50 has been fighting the blaze, and to provide some relief, extra management has been brought in and more manpower is heading into the fire on foot.
Pilots have been at it for three days straight, attacking the fire from the air with monsoon buckets of water.
"Everyone's had a fair crack at it over the last two or three days and starting to get a bit tired," Still says.
Dunedin rural fire officer Daniel Marsh says it can be pretty nerve racking at times.
"You've just got to keep a clear head and think about what you're doing," he says.
Although a drop in temperature on Thursday has helped, with winds gusting up to 50 kilometres an hour it makes fighting the blaze tricky.
Still says while the wind is helping at the moment, it could turn and make things more difficult.
They are hoping to have the fire contained in a couple of days, but that will not be the end.
"We're going to have to fly over with heat sensors, find out where all these hot spots are that we can't visually see," says Still.
And, it is expected to be weeks before they can pack up for good.
Latest NZ News Video
-
Shortage of vets in New Zealand (1:59)
-
Mother and baby laid to rest (1:36)
-
Kiwi scientists help make history (0:29)
