Large scrub fire under control

About 25 rural firefighters battled the Lake Coleridge blaze. File photo

Firefighters have worked for almost 12 hours to get a large a 40-hectare scrub fire in the South Island under control.

About 25 rural firefighters battled the Lake Coleridge blaze, which threatened to engulf nearby baches, from dawn until dusk yesterday.

Fire Service spokesman Andrew Norris said the crews left as it got dark.

"It's all done...rural fire crews were there until dusk last night, but everybody's out of there now."

Crews received calls about 4.15am about the fire, west of Christchurch, which is believed to have been caused by power lines sparking in high winds.

But the 40-hectare blaze was to dangerous to reach in a remote area at the foothills of the Southern Alps in darkness and firefighters had to wait for first light.

"That fire has burned uncontained simply because there's no access to it," Mr Norris said.

"We did evacuate people from one bach just as a safety precaution."

He said it was not being treated as suspicious.

Selwyn District Council deputy principal rural fire officer Douglas Marshall said it was believed power lines crossing each other in the "blustery" wind had caused the blaze.

About 30ha of scrub and another 5ha of pine trees and a wood shed were destroyed in the fire, he said.

"What was challenging here was that the fire was reported at 4.15 this morning so it wasn't safe to put firefighters either on the ground or into the air due to the darkness and the heavy winds that were up there.

"The plus side was that it allowed the fire to burn down to an area where we could then attack it and contain it reasonably easily, and do so in a safe manner."