A fire which destroyed about 6ha of pine plantation at Berwick Forest remained under control yesterday but fire crews will continue on site until hot spots are extinguished.
Wenita chief executive Rodger Hancock yesterday said about 15 of the company's firefighters were at the scene dampening down hot spots. A hydraulic excavator had been brought in to open up the ground and reveal any deep-seated embers.
Fire communications were alerted to the fire about 1am on Monday, but fire crews could not begin fighting the fire until daybreak. Four helicopters were used on Monday morning to bring the fire under control.
The forest is owned and managed by Wenita.
Dunedin City Council principal rural fire officer Graeme Still said the fire had started in pine trees which bordered Prentice Rd.
There were "two scenarios" as to how the fire may have started. He did not want to say what those were but it was not being treated as suspicious, he said.
