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Simon O’Connor / Stuff
Six crews have been called in to help deal with a fire between Culverdon and Hamner Springs, on the side of State Highway 7.
State Highway 7 north of Canterbury was closed as firefighters deal with a wildfire on the highway near the Hanmer Springs turnoff.
Wind warnings are in place for Canterbury and gusts reached over 80km / h on Wednesday at Christchurch airport.
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The fire, near Marble Point, did not threaten any property and was burning in the hills, Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) spokesman Andrew Norris said.
Six fire crews were called in to fight the blaze, he said.
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“The winds are too strong for them to do too much at this stage.”
It was unclear how big the fire was or how it started, Norris said.
State Highway 7, between Culverden and the turnoff to Hamner Springs, was closed.
Culverden is about 80 kilometers north of Christchurch.
An update on the road closure was expected around 7pm
Those traveling between the west coast and Canterbury would need to use SH73 in the meantime.
Four crews had also been called to a small fire on Happy Valley Rd, near Motunau Beach.
Motunau, located on the east coast of the South Island, is about 70 km north of Christchurch.
Norris said there was a small fire on a plantation.
Destroyed caravan in Dunedin
High winds earlier destroyed a caravan near Dunedin, prompting police to remind motorists to be careful when towing high-sided vehicles.
The incident occurred on State Highway 1, just north of the town of Waikouaiti in Otago, around 2.50 p.m. Wednesday.
Acting Sergeant Major Anthony Bond said strong winds pushed the caravan off the road and overturned it, destroying it.
The wind was so strong that police were unable to clear debris from the road. The cleanup would take place when the wind died down, Bond said.
More strong winds were expected in the region on Thursday, with police urging motorists, particularly those driving high-sided vehicles, to be cautious and drive according to conditions.
Supplied
A caravan was destroyed by strong winds north of Dunedin.
Winds also blew the roof off a fire-damaged building on Hillside Rd in Dunedin on Wednesday.
The road was closed because debris was strewn across the area.
Bond said firefighters secured the remains of the roof, and a civil engineer later inspected the building and declared it safe.
“Police would like to remind people with trampolines and other possible flying objects to make sure they are secured to the ground, so they don’t turn into UFOs,” Bond said.
Winds reach 83 km / h in Christchurch
MetService issued multiple weather alerts for high winds for Christchurch and snow forecast for North Canterbury.
Temperatures topped 20 degrees Celsius in the city Thursday morning and northwesterly winds reached speeds of 83 km / h at Christchurch International Airport in the afternoon.
MetService
Windy weather is on the way, according to MetService’s national forecast video for Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2020.
A MetService spokesperson said wind watch would be in place in Christchurch and Canterbury Plains until 7 p.m.
“Those northwest winds can approach a gale at times,” he said.
“There is also a strong wind warning inland, so the wind is much stronger as you move towards the Southern Alps.”
He said the warning criteria was for wind speeds above 110km / h.
A spokesperson for Fire and Emergency NZ said they received reports of downed branches and vegetation fires in St Andrews and Fairlie, which had been spread by winds.
There is also a heavy snow watch for inland Canterbury, north of Castle Hill and the Kaikōura Ranges, from 11 p.m. Thursday to 6 a.m. Friday.
Snow is forecast starting at 300 m, with heavier snow above 500 m.
