Firefighters are battling a major vegetation fire at Awarua, south of Invercargill.
(File photo). Photo: 123RF
The blaze started yesterday evening and has not been contained, but six helicopters and four ground crews are at work at the scene.
People are being asked to avoid the area.
Incident controller Mark Mawhinney said the fire reached through about 1000ha of mānuka bush and peat soil by Sunday morning.
Most of the area affected is Department of Conservation land.
Fire and Emergency plan to investigate the cause.
Last week Otago and Southland were declared to be in the grip of a medium-scale drought, and conditions in the area are dry after prolonged lack of rainfall.
