Large scrub fire near Ettrick

Rural firefighting crews and helicopters equipped with monsoon buckets are mopping up hotspots at a large scrub fire which has blazed through the hills on the northern side of the Clutha River near Ettrick, this afternoon.

Rural fire crews from the Central Otago District Council, and fire brigades from Roxburgh and Millers Flat have battled the blaze on the ground, while two helicopters have conducted an aerial operation equipped with monsoon buckets to douse the flames from above, a fire communications spokesman said.

The scrub fire took hold in long grass on paddocks beside Smiths Rd about 4:50pm and had been fanned by winds into the hills above the Clutha River.

Reports had come in from fire crews about how the blaze had burned through an area of about 1 kilometre by 500 metres.

Helicopter crews and ground-based firefighters were at the site to dampen down hotspots and keep an eye on the situation, he said.