At least 6 helicopters battling blaze in Queenstown stood down as darkness falls

At least six helicopters were battling a blaze in Queenstown this evening.

Fire and Emergency said firefighters were alerted to the fire at a pine plantation near Coronet Peak at 6.15pm.

The fire has spread over at least 6ha of land at this stage.

As of 10pm tonight, the helicopters had been sent away due to a lack of visibility in the dark, but a Fire and Emergency spokesperson said they would return at 6am tomorrow.