Otago Gorse and Scrub Cutting owner Tim Burt said he had been working on a 3ha block of land east of Portobello for several months, clearing scrub and gorse.
During that time, he had made about 30 controlled burns on the plot without incident, but yesterday's burn caught him by surprise.
He said he started the fire about 9am, but dry conditions caused the fire to burn further and quicker than expected toward some roadside power lines.
He attempted to put the fire out with about 20 litres of water he was carrying, but by 9.30am he decided enough was enough.
"It was looking a bit iffy, so I thought it was time to call in some help."
Appliances from Portobello and St Kilda brought the fire under control and the Dunedin Rural Fire Brigade took over to dampen down hotspots.
