The fire started about 8.30pm yesterday in cut over (forestry which had already been felled).
Wenita Forests chief executive Dave Cormack said strong winds overnight had spread the fire about 1.5km from where it started, into some standing forestry.
Mr Cormack said the perimeter of the fire was 95 hectares. About 90 hectares of the affected area was cut over and only 5 hectares was standing forestry.
He said firefighters and helicopters with monsoon buckets had been working on the blaze over night and now seemed to have it under control.
"If the winds stay down and the temperatures stay cool, we certainly hope we can contain the fire today.
"But it's still early days. It's hard to predict what will happen."
Earlier story
Rural fire crews are battling to contain a forest fire in Wenita's Mt Allan forestry block, northwest of Dunedin.
The fire, which started about 8.30pm last night, was contained in an area of some 2ha, but the heat was intense, Dunedin City Council principal rural fire officer Graeme Still told the Otago Daily Times at midnight.
The fire was burning on a large, steep slope and was hard to access at night.
"It's not a big area, but we're here for a few days," he said.
Firefighters had to be careful it did not burn back up on them.
The fire would "take a lot of work to put out".
About 20 men were at the scene dealing with hot spots and trying to contain the flames.
They were to remain overnight to monitor the fire.
A digger was being used to cut a track so firefighters could "attack it in the morning".
Three helicopters with monsoon buckets were deployed during the evening, but had been stood down for the night, he said.
Strong northwest winds and hot temperatures have been fanning fires throughout the southern South Island for the past couple of days, with two major fires were still being fought, one near Waimate and the other north of Christchurch.
Wenita Forests chief executive Dave Cormack said last night the Mt Allan fire was within the perimeter of the February-March blaze which consumed 710ha and took two weeks to contain.
Because of the dry conditions and high winds, Wenita had had maximum numbers on stand-by before the fire broke out.
Fire appliances from Dunedin International Airport, Mosgiel and Outram were at the scene.
There had been no activity at the site.
Logging activity had shut down for the Christmas holiday season last Saturday.
"No-one has been up there."
Mt Allan residents standing watch nearby said last night the fire appeared to be nowhere near as big as the blaze earlier this year, but they were aware things could change.
The MetService last night forecast severe southwest gales for exposed parts of Otago today.
Wenita's February-March fire
Started February 23 in Wenita's Mt Allan forestry block, northwest of Dunedin.
Consumed an area of 710ha, including 250ha of standing trees.
Took nearly two weeks to contain.
Dozens of people, using helicopters, water tankers, aircraft and spades battled the fire.
