Large bush fire burns through 1400 hectares in high country above Lake Whakatipu

Firefighters will work until dusk this evening as they continue to tackle a large bush blaze burning in the high country above Lake Whakatipu.The fire is estimated to have burnt 1400 hectares of mainly tussock and scrub, with areas of trees, Fire and Emergency NZ said.It was not yet controlled or contained.The fire had spread from Walter Peak station along the McKinley's Creek area and had also affected parts of adjoining conservation estate and Cecil Peak station.No homes or buildings were damaged, and there were no structures or livestock at immediate riskFive helicopters with monsoon buckets had been dropping water on the fire, targeting the most active fire edges, FENZ said."Ground crews are continuing structure protection work around the homestead, creating defensible space and strengthening containment lines. An Incident Management Team is directing operations and planning further ahead."Firefighting operations will be suspended overnight for safety, with helicopters standing down at last light. A ground crew will remain at Walter Peak to monitor the fire and maintain readiness, enabling crews to resume operations at first light tomorrow," FENZ said.District Commander Blair Kiely said the fire's behaviour continued to be influenced by steep terrain, the vegetation and changing wind conditions.There would be five aircraft supporting 23 firefighters, with incident management and support personnel all active on Thursday.Crews from the Department of Conservation (DOC) were working alongside Fire and Emergency volunteer firefighters.The fire at Lake Wakatipu as seen on Wednesday morning.SUPPLIEDEarlier, Kiely said today's efforts were focused on extending the contained area and protecting livestock in the vicinity, while maintaining the ability to protect the Walter Peak homestead and associated buildings if wind changes drove the fire nearer.He said forecast rain could assist suppression efforts but could also create additional operational challenges.Drifting smoke would continue to be seen and smelled in a wide area, with exact locations changing as the wind shifts, Kiely said.Air quality around affected areas might be impacted by smoke. Health NZ encouraged at-risk people to:Keep windows and doors closed.Set air conditioning systems to recirculate or turn them off.Air out homes once smoke conditions have improved.Check on children, older people, and others who may be more vulnerable to smoke.Keep pets indoors where possible and ensure they have access to clean water and food.The fire on Tuesday.FENZWalter Peak tour operator RealNZ said it would be working with fire investigators to determine how a controlled burn on its land reignited.Chief executive Dave Beeche said he had been on site today talking to fire crews."We had a controlled burn last Wednesday and had an appropriate plan, and FENZ were on site and that all was successful and went well at the time. FENZ believes that that has somehow reignited - so we'll obviously work closely with them to understand how that might have happened," he said.The fire came within 300 metres of the historic Walter Peak homestead yesterday, prompting the evacuation of 350 guests and staff, he said.It had since moved up towards the McKinlays Creek area, but there had been no stock or property damage on RealNZ's land, he said."There's no further immediate risk to property at our station at the moment," he said.Beeche said he was grateful for the "hard tireless work" of fire crews and pilots.Barring any changes overnight, he said RealNZ was hoping to resume tours tomorrow.Queenstown's mayor John Glover said the blaze was "confronting"."It's very large, very visible, and the fact that we haven't been able to contain it is top of mind for everyone involved in the response."Glover said it was normal for high country stations in the area to have burns this time of year to renew land for Spring - but these could get out of control."It's a real stark reminder of the fact that our hillsides can be dry and if we get a wild fire it can spread quite easily."Glover understood the historic Walter Peak homestead had not been damaged, which he was relieved about.He advised locals to keep boats away from the area, which was across the lake from the central city.Members of the public on the lake are reminded to stay at least 500 metres offshore to keep clear of where our helicopters are operating.Kevin PilbrowThis exclusion zone would be monitored by the Harbourmaster and Coastguard throughout the day to ensure public and firefighter safety, FENZ said.Queenstown locals and visitors flocked to the lakeside to watch as the fire smoulders.There was a steady stream of people coming by with their binoculars and cameras.Thomas Ah Chee said it was sad to see how much land had been blackened by the blaze."[It's] pretty devastating to watch and quite a spectacle at night last night. It was glowing red and you could see the fires clear as day," he said.Demi-Ann Klocek, who was visiting from Brisbane, was surprised to see the scale of the fire while driving towards Glenorchy on Wednesday morning."I wasn't expecting to experience bush fires here in Queenstown," she said.Others told RNZ it was really surprising to see such a dramatic blaze play out across the lake.