A large fire in the Skippers Canyon area, near Queenstown, has largely been contained tonight but a threat of further flare-ups remains. Mark Mawhinney, Deputy Principal Rural Fire Officer for Central Otago, praised the efforts of fire crews in managing the blaze which at one point covered nearly 200ha of scrubland. Emergency services crews were first called to the fire at the bottom of Deep Creek, Skippers Canyon about 2.45pm. A cyclist in the area described the scene as "a bit scary". Skippers Rd, which runs up Skippers Canyon, would remain closed until further notice and people were advised to avoid the area.

Source: Otago Daily Times September 28, 2019 04:41 UTC