Strong nor'west winds were fanning a major fire near Templeton just south of Christchurch on Tuesday. Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman Wayne Hamilton said the blaze is growing. "It started at about 200 sq m and is bigger than that now." 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.

Source: Otago Daily Times December 03, 2019 03:39 UTC