Fire on Port Hills Update

Laura from Leeston

Hello All,

Update on the Port Hills fire

The fire at this stage is largely contained but not yet controlled. The fire area is not expanding and firefighters have made great progress in putting in fire breaks around the perimeter of the fire area.

Today we have diggers working in several areas to create fire breaks. In those areas that diggers can’t access we’re focusing on dropping fire retardant to stop the spread of the fire.

There’s still a lot of dry vegetation and areas of extreme heat within the fire ground, so there’s still a very real risk of flare-ups – especially with forecast north-east winds of up to 50km today.

A total fire ban is in place in Selwyn, and in the region from South Canterbury to Hurunui. The fire ban includes a ban on all stubble fires. Authorities have put the fire ban in place because of the number of firefighting resources from around Canterbury involved in the Port Hills fire. This means that resources are limited for responding to other fires. We hope residents appreciate the severity of the situation and take extra care with outdoor activities to avoid further fires. The fire ban is expected to be reviewed when conditions change.


We would like to stress the request that people please stay well away from the area of the fires.

Lincoln Event Centre is not operating as a welfare centre.


No further donated goods or offers of accommodation are required at this stage. We appreciate the offers but please don't ring any of the authorities to offer goods or services.

Information and updates for Selwyn residents will be posted on the council website and on Facebook as required. Residents can also check the Christchurch City Council Newsline ccc.govt.nz... for the latest information.

We would like to thank all firefighters both on the ground and in the air, especially the volunteer firefighters who have taken time off work to contribute to the effort.

From the Selwyn Emergency Management Team