Firefighters are continuing their battle against the Bridge Hill blaze, which has now expanded to 980 hectares with a 17-kilometre perimeter.

District Commander Dave Stackhouse said while the fire remains uncontrolled, favourable weather conditions are aiding efforts to contain it.

“We are currently experiencing benign fire conditions due to mild winds, which is allowing us to make good progress,” Stackhouse said.

“We’ve got 86 firefighters on the ground supported by an incident management team based at Castle Hill Village.”

Despite the improved weather, Stackhouse warned against complacency. “We can’t rest on our laurels. If wind conditions change, it could escalate the fire and limit our air attack options,” he said.

State Highway 73 reopens with restrictions

State Highway 73 has reopened under piloted traffic conditions, with reviews planned over the next 12 hours to assess whether it can safely reopen fully.

“The safety of our firefighters is the priority,” Stackhouse said. “We encourage drivers to be cautious as there’s heavy traffic, including tankers and fire appliances, in the area. Please don’t stop to look at the fire—just keep moving.”

Structural loss and progress

The fire has destroyed one lodge, an old New Zealand Forest Service hut. Fire crews have laid retardant lines in remote areas of the perimeter and are focusing on securing the fire’s edge over the next seven days.

“There’s a lot of steep terrain and thick vegetation, which requires significant manpower and effort. We expect to maintain a helicopter presence but will likely reduce the use of fixed-wing aircraft in the next 24 hours,” Stackhouse said.

No immediate threat to Castle Hill community

“There is currently no threat to the Castle Hill community. However, we’ve briefed residents of Castle Hill and Springfield as a precaution.”

The fire is burning predominantly in the Craigieburn recreational area and toward the west coast in steep, rugged high country. “The terrain poses challenges, especially if wind speeds increase to 30–40 kilometres an hour, as this could intensify the fire,” Stackhouse said.

Fire season restrictions looming

Stackhouse confirmed Canterbury would likely enter a restricted fire season next week due to ongoing dry conditions. “This fire is a strong indicator of how dry the high country has become,” he said.

Environment Canterbury Wild Confiders Delivery Lead Richard Langley said “The control work carried out prior to this fire has undoubtedly helped. Without it, there’d be an incredible amount of additional fuel feeding this fire.

“The dead standing trees do burn easily, but a dense, closed canopy forest spreads fire more quickly and ferociously. So, the dead trees aren’t causing any more of an issue than a dense canopy forest would.”

“In some areas, control work had been undertaken previously, but there was still more to do. Unfortunately, some of those areas, along with regenerating trees, have been burnt as part of this fire. But we certainly wouldn’t see that as anything to celebrate. This is a serious event that has affected the community deeply.”