Fire crews at the scene of large fire in Dunedin

Tuesday, 27 December 2016

Tracy Lewis of Ravensbourne has been told to pack a bag incase of evacuation.

Fire crews are at the scene of a large fire on Wednesday morning to ensure it remains extinguished.

The fire threatened a Dunedin high school and several homes.

Patrols stayed on Signal Hill through the night, dampening down hot spots after a bush-clad area half the size of a rugby field on the side of Signal Hill was sparked on Tuesday afternoon.

Residents in the area have been warned to prepare to evacuate.

Four homes in Rimu St, Ravensbourne were evacuated as a precaution.

Fire raging in Dunedin

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Signal Hill was closed overnight, as well as several roads near the blaze. Butts Rd from Dundas St and Harbour Tce, through to the end of Butts Rd where it meets Union St were closed, as well as Logan Park Drive.

The fire was contained by 5.45pm on Tuesday and rural fire crews patrolled the area overnight, a Fire Service spokesman said.

'I don't believe it will spread any more and the chances of evacuation have gone down a lot,' he said.

There are fears that the enormous blaze could spread due to high winds.

Helicopters use water from the harbour to contain a fire in Dunedin.

Emergency services were called to Signal Hill at the back of Logan Park High School about 2.45pm.

Locals and motorists were urged to avoid the area and cordons were set up. Police assisted nearby residents and diverting traffic.

Dunedin man Wayne Baird said flames were 'a good 30 or 40 metres high'.

'It's a good wind blowing right up the valley. It's all bush and pine so it's good fuel.

'It's flying away from the city but I think if you were on the other side of it it, it will be blowing down the western side of the harbour.'

Photos sent in by Stuff readers showed the fire was close to several homes.

Anne Scott said 'hundreds' of people had converged around Harbour Tce to watch the fire crews' efforts.

A view of the Dunedin blaze from Mt Cargill.

A large fire is raging in a Dunedin suburb.

Two helicopters battle a large blaze in Signal Hill, Dunedin.

Helicopters were piling monsoon buckets of water onto the fire, an eye witnesses said.

Ravensbourne resident Suzanne Thornton said a large fire in the area 10 years ago had prepared her for a possible evacuation.

From her home she could see helicopters with monsoon buckets.

'The smoke is falling all over us really,' she said.