Fire fighters on the ground and in the air are still battling to control a massive scrub fire in the Lake Grasmere area of the Waimakariri Gorge.
Fanned by high winds and spurred on by high temperatures, the fire has blazed across 150-200 hectares.
Earlier, the blaze forced the closure of themain highway between Canterbury and the West Coast through Arthur's Pass and the evacuation of recreationists and others from the area.
At that stage Fire Service crews from around Central and other parts of Canterbury and DOC staff were fighting the fire assisted by seven helicopters and two fixed wing aircraft.
But the blaze had chewed its way through many hectares of sub-alpine vegetation and grass and some beech forest.
State Highway 73 was closed earlier today to assist fire fighting operations which included low flying by the helicopters and fixed wing aircraft.
As the blaze continued into the afternoon a pall of smoke hung high over the area and a veil of smoke drifted across the Canterbury Plains toward the coast.
Campers, fishers, weekenders and an overseas camera crew were evacuated from the area as the day wore on.
