Strong nor'west winds are fanning a large fire near Templeton just south of Christchurch which led to the temporary closure of part of State Highway 1.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman Wayne Hamilton said the blaze was growing.
"It started at about 200 sq m and is bigger than that now."
The fire broke out near Jones Rd about 4pm.
Lincoln chief fire officer Jeremy Greenwood said: "It could potentially escalate due to the warm weather."
Fire crews from Rolleston, Lincoln, Sockburn and several other stations are attending the blaze.
Police closed a section of SH1 for a time but advised around 6pm it had reopened.
