Residents at Lake Pūkaki in the South Island are waking up to billows of smoke Thursday morning as an enormous wildfire burns north of Twizel.
The blaze broke out just before eight o'clock Wednesday night, and six properties were evacuated.
State Highway 80 at Lake Pūkaki has been shut Wednesday night.
Six helicopters are currently assessing the scale and condition of the fire, with high winds preventing firefighters from tackling it on the ground.
Chris Rudge from Aviation Adventures lives about six kilometres from the fire.
Rudge spoke to Corin Dann.
