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.
