Firefighters are rushing to a large fire spreading quickly in the Gibbston Valley, near Queenstown. A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said it received multiple calls at 1.18pm of a large vegetation fire at the Kawerau Gorge end of the Gibbston Valley Highway. Two helicopters and ten fire appliances are fighting the fire. The fire spans about 200m by 100m. Two structures were initially threatened by the fire.

Source: Otago Daily Times January 30, 2020 00:33 UTC