Emergency services are telling residents of Eves Valley to evacuate after a 120-hectare fire continues to blaze near Nelson. "Residents of Eves Valley residents and the Eves Valley Saw Mill have been advised to evacuate," the brigade told people in the area. "Teapot Valley residents are advised to get themselves ready for evacuation if the need arises as there will not be much time," it said. "We haven't had rain here for weeks and weeks and there's quite a strong southwesterly wind helping the blaze." "There's just a huge ball of smoke and [water] tankers going out there and fire engines going out there."

Source: Otago Daily Times February 05, 2019 05:03 UTC