The large vegetation fire at Bridge Hill did not reach Castle Hill Village overnight, and no emergency evacuations were required, according to Fire and Emergency New Zealand. The fire remains a safe distance from the settlement but continues to be uncontained and out of control.

This morning, 15 trucks, tankers, and support vehicles will join helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft in the firefighting effort. Incident Commander Brian Keown said weather conditions on Friday are favourable for containing the blaze.

“The wind is not as strong as it was yesterday, and there is some rain forecast for the area in the afternoon, which, if it eventuates, will aid our efforts to contain the fire,” Keown said.

A reconnaissance flight will take place this morning to map the fire’s growth. Currently, the fire remains at 535 hectares with a 14-kilometre perimeter, but these figures are expected to increase once the mapping is completed.

Efforts are also underway to make State Highway 73 safe enough to reopen.

“We had crews working through the night to create a 10-metre safety blackout area either side of SH73,” Keown said. “We will work with the New Zealand Transport Agency to assess the work this morning to determine if the road can safely be reopened.”