A massive plantation fire in Marlborough has destroyed more than 1200 hectares of pine forest.
It's the biggest fire in the region since the Boxing Day fire 15 years ago, with smoke visible from more than 30kms away.
Burning through the dense pine forestry the out-of-control flames are from one of the many pockets of fire, started by flying embers.
"It is and has potential to threaten homes. We'll be putting in a lot of effort in to saving homes before trees," says Marlborough principal rural fire officer Richard McNamara.
It's steep and difficult country and firefighters are attacking the rapidly moving flames from the air.
"So it's a big fire and it's burning in heavy fuels and it's had a big wind behind it through late last evening," says Mr McNamara.
It's already burnt through more than 1200 hectares in its path and there's ample fuel for it to keep going.
"Yeah it's very steep, it's all commercial forestry, 28-year-old, 30-year-old trees. It's very hard to get ground crews in there," says incident controller John Foley.
Eleven helicopters battled the blaze in the Wairau Valley.
Two fixed-wing planes from North Canterbury joined the aerial attacks which are able to dump two tonnes of water each time.
But it's still too dangerous to send troops in on foot.
"It's very hard to get ground crews in there, fire intensities such that we're just not safe to deploy crews of any sort in there," says Mr Foley.
Forestry workers were some of the first to help when it broke out yesterday morning.
"It was travelling quite quick aye. You could see it up the ridge and that," says Allan Elvy.
The next few hours are crucial for firefighters and a hot norwester arriving tomorrow afternoon is expected to make the fight that much harder.
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