Generic fire truck. Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
Fire crews south of Ashburton have been battling a large rural fire burning through around 14,000 hay bales since late on Wednesday night.
Fire and Emergency first received a 111 call to the blaze in two sheds at an agricultural contracting yard in Winslow.
The two buildings have a combined total of around 214,000 hay bales inside them.
The fire covered an area of 150m by 25m.
Seven tankers, three fire trucks, two rural fire trucks and a command unit were at the scene.
Fire and Emergency shift manager Simon Lyford said due to the hay bales burning the blaze would take some time to extinguish.
People travelling in the area might see some smoke and the occasional flame.
Lyford said there was no risk to life or homes, however, there were other buildings nearby on the yard that the fire crews were protecting.
