Fenz released this photograph of the blaze on Ben Lomand, a mountain near Queenstown – one of two fires caused by strong winds flaring up controlled burns off in Otago on Wednesday. Fire crews have extinguished two large blazes in the Otago high country with the help of a southerly change. READ MORE:* Two blazes burn through 1800ha across Otago* Two dead in two South Island car crashes* Canterbury bush fire contained, state highway re-opensCrews were also called to a second blaze in Otago on Wednesday. The fire at Ben Lomond was visible from Queenstown and was estimated to have burnt through 1000ha of high country scrub. The Macares area was forecast to reach a high of 12 degrees Celsius and receive 8.9 millimetres of rain throughout the day.

Source: Stuff September 09, 2020 20:03 UTC