Six homes have been evacuated in the Central Otago town of Roxburgh as firefighters try to contain a scrub fire driven by strong winds, the NZ Herald reports.
Aurora Energy has cut power to more than 220 properties in the town as a precaution. Fire and Emergency district commander Blair Kiely said high winds and warm temperatures were making fires spread quickly and harder to control, and that conditions were too windy in most places to use aircraft.
Central Otago was under an orange strong wind warning until 9pm. Kiely urged people to take extra care with outdoor fires as Otago heads into what is expected to be a difficult wildfire season, and to check the forecast before lighting one.
Source: NZ Herald
