Southland firefighters have resumed battling a blaze that broke out in a forestry area on Friday.
A truck driver passing by the Castledown forestry area, between Mossburn and Dipton, spotted the fire and called emergency services about 4.15pm.
About 70 personnel from the Southern Rural Fire Authority and Fire Service spent the afternoon and night battling the fire, using eight helicopters and five diggers, to try and stop it spreading into surrounding pine plantations.
The crews managed to contain the fire in a three hectare area on Friday night and were stood down about 11pm.
Four helicopters returned to the site with five ground crews and five diggers to continue dampening down hot spots on Saturday morning, with dry conditions expected in the area throughout the day.
Southland principal rural fire officer Mike Grant says it is expected that crews will remain at the site for another few days to dampen down hotspots.
It was too early to say what caused the blaze.
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