A haze covered Balclutha on Saturday afternoon as
firefighters battled a blaze on the outskirts of the town.
A plantation near the Balclutha Golf Course and beside the
Kaitangata Highway caught alight shortly before 4pm.
Senior Firefighter Jason Lyall, of Balclutha, said about 15
crew attended the blaze and a helicopter was called in to
help dampen the flames.
Mr Lyall said, despite rain earlier in the week, the
plantation was very dry and trees were soon alight.
Firefighters closed the Kaitangata Highway for an hour while
the helicopter dropped water from a monsoon bucket.
Half a hectare of the plantation, believed to be owned by the
Clutha District Council, was ablaze for more than two hours.
The cause of the fire is unknown.
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