Latest fromChristchurch fires
No health threat from smoky properties
Smoky smells in Port Hills' properties does not pose a serious threat to health, authorities say.
'It roared up here, it was like a train'
Port Hills homeowners have this afternoon been allowed to return to their smouldering homes that have burned to the ground.
Angry Port Hills resident: 'It's a joke'
Frustrated homeowners still don't know whether their Port Hills homes are standing or have been ravaged by fire.
Port Hills fires: Send choppers plea
Contractors working in the area where the devastating fire first broke out on Monday pleaded for helicopters to be sent out, it can be revealed.
Helicopters to survey fresh damage
Helicopters are getting ready to go up and give emergency workers an overview of any fresh destruction.
'Twenty years of memories, gone'
Son reeling after family home containing all of late father's belongings razed.
Firefighters battle for the Port Hills
Plumes of smoke billow over blackened stretches of land on the edges of our second-largest city.
Burning battle in the hills
The Port Hills fires in Christchurch merged into one huge blaze, threatening houses and lives. About 1000 people left their homes as the fire reached 1850ha, creating a big challenge for firefighters. A state of emergency has been declared in Christchurch and Selwyn.
Who said 40 homes had been destroyed?
Civil Defence's reports of houses destroyed by fire and evacuations over the past 24 hours have varied wildly.
Lucky escape for dream house
A Christchurch couple who were told that their home was lost in the Port Hills blaze, just hours after finally insuring it, appear to have had a lucky escape.
Number of damaged properties unknown
Exactly how many properties have been damaged by fires in Christchurch will not be known until much later, authorities say. And although
Watch: Fire footage shows devastation
A photographer who surveyed the damage of the Port Hills fire from the air has shared the incredible images that show the devastation.
McCaw: 'It's nice to be able to help'
All Blacks legend speaks to NZME in his first interview since the wildfires.
Homes destroyed in Port Hills fires in Christchurch
Port Hills fire updates: Amazing images show the extent of the damage from the air, and just how close it came to some properties.
Mayors defend actions after criticism
Christchurch Mayor Lianne Dalziel and Selwyn Mayor Sam Broughton have defended their handling of the Port Hills fire.
Port hills fire: Orange hearts show social media support
Kiwis are showing their support for those affected by the Port Hills fire and the firefighters working to put it out by making a statement
Nearly a dozen homes destroyed
The ongoing firefighting effort includes 15 helicopters and planes - the maximum number that can safely be in the air at any one time.
'It's about as bad as it can be'
As a white shape emerged through the smoke, a stressed Port Hills homeowner saw what he needed to see: his family home of 20 years had survived the fire. So far.
Canterbury employers urged to be flexible
Employers need to be flexible and allow staff to tend to their families and properties in the wake of the Port Hills fire.
Anxious homeowners seek fire answers
Chaos and cordons as evacuated locals try to find out how their homes survived the night.
Sir Miles says fire won't drive him out
As fire spread down the hills above his beloved historic Ohinetahi homestead and gardens, Sir Miles Warren wasn't going anywhere.
PM heads to fire-stricken Christchurch
Prime Minister Bill English has scrapped his day's schedule to head to Christchurch instead.
Leave now, Cashmere Hills locals told
People in the Dyers Pass Rd area of the Cashmere Hills have been ordered to leave their properties immediately.
Port Hills: The faces behind the fire
Evacuated residents spend a restless night away from their homes in the path of the Port Hills fire. Some got terrible news this morning.
Christchurch mayor 'very worried'
Lianne Dalziel says rubberneckers aren't helping and people need to 'stay at a distance' from the fires.
Baby born as fire rages on
In the midst of the raging inferno enveloping Christchurch's picturesque Port Hills, came a new life.
Disruption and despair as wildfires rage
State of emergency declared as Port Hills' wildfires continued yesterday.
Port Hills fires: What you need to know
It's been a long night for Christchurch residents. Here's what you need to know first thing this morning.
Agony for hero pilot Steve Askin's family
Paul Askin has spent years fearing terrible news about his son Steve. On Tuesday, that moment came when the chopper pilot died fighting Christchurch's fires.
Fleeing family: 'I guess now we wait'
Evacuated family reveal the panicked scene of scared, fleeing families.