Homes threatened by major bush fire in Christchurch’s Redcliffs

Residents have been evacuated as a wildfire in Christchurch’s Redcliffs approaches the properties.

Fire services were inundated with multiple calls reporting the fire in Balmoral Hill, near Glentrae Rd, around 1.40pm Monday.

Fire and Emergency NZ said the fire extends 50 x 100 m and several houses are threatened.

A helicopter is en route from Christchurch airport.

NZME reporter George Heard said the fire is getting very close to houses.

He said it is burning in a large number of brush and pine trees and fire crews are protecting several houses that the fire is heading towards.

Heard said there are about five houses in the line of fire and the closest one is six feet from the flames.

He said firefighters can be seen on scaffolding at a construction site, and other firefighters are on the decks of other properties to protect them.

At 2 p.m., temperatures were approaching 27 ° C in the garden city.

Christchurch City Councilor Aaron Keown said he can see heavy smoke rising over Mt Pleasant and Heathcote.

It comes after a brush fire that swept 15 acres in the hills above Cass Bay last Tuesday.

Twenty houses were evacuated when a trio of helicopters with rain buckets tried to contain the blaze.

The fire services are still investigating what caused the fire.

It was one of several fires in Canterbury on Tuesday.

Christchurch remains in a restricted fire season, which means a permit is needed to start a fire as temperatures continue to rise in the garden city.