Flames poured from a large storage shed which caught fire in Maudes Rd, Oamaru, on Saturday, blanketing much of the South Hill in smoke and causing multiple calls to the Fire Service.
Initially, the Weston Fire Brigade was called at 5.52pm, along with Oamaru police, because of a report of an explosion, which turned out to be unrelated to the fire.
Weston Chief Fire Officer Bevan Koppert said the fire was ''very impressive''. It was blazing in a big storage shed, about 40m long and 20m wide, that contained equipment, but not vehicles.
A unit and tanker from Weston responded, later supported by a unit from Oamaru and a tanker from the Kakanui brigade. At the peak of the blaze, 18 firefighters were involved.
The fire was not suspicious - a fire safety inspector believed it was started by rubbish being burnt in a contained area.
Strong southerly winds on Saturday afternoon spread embers on to wind cloth at one end of the shed, which caught fire.
The open-ended wooden beam and iron-clad shed turned into a funnel, the fire blowing along its length.
Firefighters, some wearing breathing apparatus, at first concentrated on stopping it spreading to a hedge which was only a few metres from the house on the property.
After getting the fire under control and dampening it down, firefighters left at 9.30pm.
