Otago - Fire and Emergency

09/10/2026

Updated 6.43pm: Fire and Emergency New Zealand crews travelled to Walter Peak Station this afternoon to check on hot spots at the fire site. All of the existing fire breaks are holding and no people or property are at risk. Today’s fire was fuelled by an underlayer of bracken that is flaring up from time to time in multiple areas. This is expected to continue for several days or longer. A Fire and Emergency commander will be on site over the next few days to monitor, reassure and advise, and we will continue working with the Walter Peak Station team to keep the fire breaks clear.

10.30am: There is a small fire in a burnt-out area on Water Peak. This fire is currently of no concern. Fire and Emergency New Zealand is monitoring the situation while continuing to work with Walter Peak Station staff.

07/10/2026

Tomorrow, between 12pm and 1pm, members of the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union will be stopping work for one hour.

We will continue to answer 111 fire calls.

Volunteer stations in the affected cities and towns will respond, as they regularly do when there are multiple emergencies.

If you are at home, do not leave cooking unattended. Make sure you have working smoke alarms in every bedroom, hallway, and living area.

If there is a fire, get out, stay out, and call 111.

If you are at work, know your building evacuation plan.

If there is a fire or the fire alarm sounds, exit the building, assemble at your safe meeting place and call 111.

If you are on a job site that uses spark or heat generating tools, we ask you to refrain from using these tools during this hour.

It is important to acknowledge that this strike action will not affect the parts of the country served by our volunteers.

If you are unsure whether your area is affected, please visit https://shorturl.at/thoU5

07/10/2026

7.30pm Update
Ending the day on a happy note - the Walter Peak fire has been fully contained and the firefighters, pilots and support personnel have demobilized.

We have handed the fireground back to the landowners after an assessment of conditions on the ground this afternoon and the expected weather. The exclusion zone for watercraft has been lifted.

There are a couple of things to be aware of:
• Some areas may keep smouldering over the next few days and you may notice smoke. This is to be expected.
• There may be an occasional flare-up. These will be monitored and we will respond if there are signs that fire could spread outside the perimeter.

A senior specialist fire investigator will determine the cause and origin of this week’s fire, which is Fire and Emergency’s standard procedure. The investigation will include any connection with the controlled burn on 30 September.

Once again, a huge thanks to our firefighters, the rural specialist firefighters from Department of Conservation - Wānaka & Queenstown, the highly skilled pilots and their support crew, all the incident management personnel and the other organisations who have been involved (including the Harbourmaster and Coastguard out on the water).
Queenstown Lakes District Council Otago Regional Council Otago Civil Defence and Emergency Management Mossburn Volunteer Fire Brigade Frankton Volunteer Fire Station Kingston volunteer fire brigade Glenorchy Volunteer Rural Fire Force Arrowtown Volunteer Fire Station Queenstown Volunteer Fire Brigade

4pm Update
Some great news, most of the fire perimeter is now contained.
Crews are dampening down hotspots and strengthening the containment lines and we expect firefighting activity will have reduced significantly by the end of the day. Monitoring will continue to ensure the fireground perimeter.

A big thank you to everyone involved in the response and the community for their ongoing support.

10.15am
More positive news. The first flight this morning found no visible flames around the perimeter. The fire hasn't grown noticeably overnight.
The fire is not out yet, so we have crews back on the ground supported by helicopters, targeting hotspots and strengthening containment lines.

Helicopters remain a key part of taosays operation, so we're asking boaties and the public to continue staying clear of operational areas and respecting exclusion zones to keep everyone safe.

A huge thank you to our firefighters, helicopter pilots, partner agencies, local iwi, landowners, and support crews who have worked tirelessly over the past few days.

7.30am update:
Good morning. A quick update with some good news from overnight - there has been some rain at Walter Peak overnight, which has helped suppress the fire, so there is less smoke from the fireground,

Our firefighters and helicopter operations will be underway again this morning.

The 500 metre exclusion zone remains in place off the shoreline in front of Walter Peak station homestead. When helicopters are filling monsoon buckets around Cable Bay, the Queenstown Lakes District Council Harbourmaster and Coastguard will also be onsite to direct boats away from that area.

Otago Regional Council Arrowtown Volunteer Fire Station Department of Conservation - Wānaka & Queenstown Glenorchy Volunteer Rural Fire Force

06/10/2026

6pm
Final update for today. Firefighters will continue working until dusk tonight. The fire is estimated to have burnt 1,400h of mainly tussock, scrub and some areas of trees. It is not yet controlled or contained.

The fire has spread from Walter Peak Station through the McKinley's Creek area and has affected parts of adjoining conservation land and Cecil Peak Station. No homes or buildings have been damaged, and there are no structures or livestock assessed as being at immediate risk.

Today five helicopters with monsoon buckets have been working on the fire, supported by ground crews carrying out structure protection around the homestead and strengthening containment lines. Firefighting operations will be suspended overnight for safety, with helicopters standing down at last light. A ground crew will remain at Walter Peak overnight, with operations resuming at first light tomorrow.

Fire behavior continues to be influenced by steep terrain, vegetation, and changing wind conditions. A specialist fire investigation will be conducted in accordance with Fire and Emergency procedures, but the immediate focus is on containing the fire.

Tomorrow, five aircraft will support 23 firefighters on the ground again. They will be supported by incident management and support personnel. Crews from the Department of Conservation - Wānaka & Queenstown and the Glenorchy Volunteer Rural Fire Force, Hedgehope, and Arrowtown Volunteer Fire Station will attend.

What we need from the community:
Thank you for your continued support and cooperation. We ask the boating community to continue staying away from the Walter Peak fire area, where the exclusion zone remains in place for the safety of firefighters, helicopter pilots and the public.

Smoke from the area is reducing but may continue to be visible l across parts of the Whakatipu Basin and surrounding areas. People sensitive to smoke should take precautions to avoid exposure to poor air quality.

Thank tou to our partner agencies, local kiwi, landowners, firefighters, and support crews who continue to work in challenging conditions to protect the community, properties and environment.

2pm
Crews of firefighters supported by helicopters are working in steep, rugged terrain and dealing with changeable winds on the Walter Peak fire today.

District Commander Blair Kiely says they are making progress, with around 15% of the fire perimeter now secured, but there is still a significant amount of work ahead. "The fire is burning both uphill and downhill in complex terrain, which creates additional challenges for our firefighters. Nonetheless they are continuing to make steady progress around the fire perimeter".

Today we have a mix of Department of Conservation - Wānaka & Queenstown and Fire and Emergency volunteer firefighters on the job together. The volunteers are from brigades at Kingston volunteer fire brigade, Glenorchy Volunteer Rural Fire Force, and Hedgehope.

Today's priorities are:
* Extending containment lines
* Protecting livestock in the area
* Maintaing protection around Walter Peak Homestead and nearby buildings.

There is no risk to Queenstown or other communities around Lake Whakatipu.

If you're in the area you'll likely continue to see and smell smoke from this fire. Health New Zealand advises that if you or others in your family are sensitive to smoke or vulnerable (eg young children, older adults those who are pregnant or those with heart or lung conditions) should take precautions such as keeping windows and doors closed where practical.

Thanks to all the boaties out there for staying clear of the incident area, allowing our helicopters to operate safely.
We appreciate the community's ongoing support while crews continue to work.

10.00am
Ground and air operations are continuing at Walter Peak- you may be able to see the helicopters from across the lake.

Assistant District Commander Nic McQuillan says the protection of Walter Peakstation and homestead and farm stock remain the priority.
While overnight conditions were relatively favourable, the fire has continued to grow and is now estimated at about 1,200ha. This size is likely to increase today if weather conditions cause the fire to become more active.

Here is what you need to know to stay safe today:

* If you are out on the lake, you must stay at least 500 meters offshore to keep clear of where our helicopters are operating. Public and firefighter safety is paramount, so the harbourmaster and coastguard will be actively monitoring this exclusion zone throughout the day.
* Smoke conditions may worsen in some areas on the opposite side of the lake today. If you are affected by the smoke, please keep your windows and doors closed and limit your exposure where possible.

We want to thank our dedicated crews who are working tirelessly on the ground and air.

6.45am
Pilots are being briefed before air operations resume on the Walter Peak fire at 7am. Ground operations will get underway at 7.30am. Conditions are relatively calm at the moment but we expect things to get more challenging when the wind gets up this morning.

Boat operators must stay well away from Walter Peak shores today so they don't endanger our helicopter pilots filling monsoon buckets from the lake.

We will post a more detailed update around 9am
Queenstown Lakes District Council Otago Regional Council Queenstown Volunteer Fire Brigade Frankton Volunteer Fire Station Glenorchy Volunteer Rural Fire Force Mossburn Volunteer Fire Brigade

06/10/2026

⚠️7.50pm update:⚠️
Firefighting has finished for the night at Walter Peak and will resume in the morning.

If you have been looking across the lake, you will notice periods when the smoke looks thicker or smells stronger. That is to be expected as the fire moves through areas of more dense vegetation and it will continue through the night.

The fire is not yet contained or controlled but our Incident Controller Nic McQuillan says a significant area of fire has been extinguished this afternoon thanks to the efforts of firefighters and helicopter pilots.

The fire is currently estimated to cover about 390 hectares.

Things to note:
• Expect to see signs of fire and smell smoke overnight.
• If you are in areas affected by the drifting smoke, please keep your doors and windows shut to avoid exposure to the smoke.
• Pleasure boats and commercial operators should stay well offshore from Walter Peak tomorrow so they don’t interfere with the aircraft filling their monsoon buckets from the lake.

Thanks to all our firefighters from Mossburn Volunteer Fire Brigade Glenorchy Volunteer Rural Fire Force Queenstown Volunteer Fire Brigade and Frankton Volunteer Fire Station, to the helicopter pilots and their support crews, and to our incident management team,

This will be our last update for tonight. We expect to have another update between 8-9am when we will have fresh information from our crews on the ground.

⚠️5.20pm update:⚠️
Firefighting on the ground and in the air will continue until sunset. Here is the latest:
• About 25 firefighters and incident management support personnel are involved, supported by six helicopters.
• The fire is not contained, but efforts to protect the Walter Peak homestead and other buildings in its vicinity have been successful.
• All boaties in private and commercial watercraft must stay well clear of the Walter Peak area as helicopters are filling monsoon buckets from the lake
• Smoke will continue to drift across the lake towards Jacks Point and Hanleys Farm, so people in areas affected by the smoke should keep doors and windows shut to minimise their exposure.
• Firefighting will continue until sunset and stop overnight. Firefighters and aircraft will recommence operations in the morning.
• You can expect to see signs of the fire overnight and tomorrow
• At 3pm the fire was mapped at 146 hectares with a perimeter of almost 6km. It has increased in size since then.

Our original post said the fire was burning on the slopes of Mt Nicholas – that was wrong and we have edited the post to remove the reference to Mt Nicholas.

⚠️2.30pm update:⚠️
Firefighting efforts are focused on protecting the Walter Peak homestead. Helicopters with monsoon buckets are at work, and additional firefighters are being airlifted across the lake from the Frankton Volunteer Fire Station and Glenorchy Volunteer Rural Fire Force. Additional crews from Mossburn Volunteer Fire Brigade are on their way by road.

Smoke from the fire is blowing across the lake towards Hanleys Farm and Jacks Point, and is likely to spread to Queenstown during the afternoon. We recommend people in areas affected by smoke to keep doors and windows closed to minimise exposure to the smoke.

The fire is spreading quickly up the slopes, and will be widely visible.

1.30pm: We are responding to a vegetation fire on Walter Peak, with helicopters equipped with monsoon buckets at work to bring the fire under control. Smoke from the fire is clearly visible from Queenstown. We will update this post when there is further information.
Queenstown Lakes District Council Otago Regional Council

05/10/2026

Tomorrow, between 12pm and 1pm, members of the New Zealand Professional Firefighters Union will be stopping work for one hour.

We will continue to answer 111 fire calls.

Volunteer stations in the affected cities and towns will respond, as they regularly do when there are multiple emergencies.

If you are at home, do not leave cooking unattended.

Make sure you have working smoke alarms in every bedroom, hallway, and living area.

If there is a fire, get out, stay out, and call 111.

If you are at work, know your building evacuation plan.

If there is a fire or the fire alarm sounds, exit the building, assemble at your safe meeting place and call 111.

If you are on a job site that uses spark or heat generating tools, we ask you to refrain from using these tools during this hour.

It is important to acknowledge that this strike action will not affect the parts of the country served by our volunteers.

If you are unsure whether your area is affected, please visit https://shorturl.at/thoU5

29/09/2026

You may notice smoke wreathing part of Walter Peak today. This is from a planned burn, which Fire and Emergency has been advised of by the landowner.
Queenstown Lakes District Council Otago Regional Council

24/08/2026

Investigations are underway to establish the cause of Saturday night’s vegetation fire in Albert Town, and we’re looking for some help from people living nearby or who were in the area at the time.

It’s too soon to say if the circumstances are suspicious – at this stage our investigators are working to confirm where and how the fire started.

Here’s how you can help: Email the fire investigation team [email protected]
• If you were in the area shortly before 7.30pm when the fire was reported, and you saw anything that may be relevant
• If you have photos or video from the early stages of the fire – especially anything taken around the lagoon end of the reserve south of Lagoon Avenue, between 7.15pm and 7.45pm.

Information will be treated in confidence.

You can also PM us on this page.

Wanaka Volunteer Fire Brigade Queenstown Lakes District Council

22/08/2026

Albert Town vegetation fire update
Firefighters have a vegetation fire under control in Albert Town Wanaka tonight using eight firefighting trucks and three support vehicles.
However, conditions are very windy and firefighters are still dealing with hotspots, flare-ups and ember transfers.
The fire in around one kilometre of trees and scrub alongside houses was reported at 7.28pm this evening.
No houses have caught fire, although initially it was thought seven to eight properties were threatened and Police evacuated twenty-two homes. People have not yet been cleared to return to their homes.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand is working with Police and Civil Defence.
The cause of the vegetation fire is not known yet.
People are reminded to check www.checkitsalright.nz for fire safety advice.

Stay safe and reduce the risk of fire over summer. Find out what you need to do before you light a fire outdoors and whether you need a fire permit.

22/08/2026

Albert Town vegetation fire
Fire and Emergency crews are responding to a vegetation fire in Albert Town, Wanaka tonight.
Eight trucks are now at the incident, as well as additional support vehicles. The latest information shows that no houses are threatened and multiple points of attack are underway.
We will provide an update when we have further information from the scene.