Photo: RNZ / Rebekah Parsons-King
A grass fire in Seddon which burnt across four hectares near the coast in South Marlborough has been contained.
The fire forced the evacuation of nearby Yealands Estate Winery.
Three helicopters and 10 fire engines from stations around Marlborough battled the blaze, which began just before 11am on Wednesday, Fire and Emergency NZ (FENZ) said.
Yealands Estate Winery sustainability general manager Mike Wentworth said an initial assessment showed the damage was limited to grass and vegetation, with minimal impact on the vineyard.
FENZ Nelson Marlborough group manager Chris Hayles said the fire burnt across grassland, with some development vineyard and small trees also affected.
Hayles said the initial attack from the ground crews and helicopters meant the fast-moving fire was contained within three hours.
"It looks like after initial investigation that an old burn pile hadn't been completely extinguished and just with the hot temperatures and lack of rain and the wind we've been experiencing in Marlborough the fire has jumped out of its little pile into some long, dry grass."
Firefighters remained at the scene in South Marlborough on Wednesday afternoon - extinguishing hot spots.
Many were volunteers and Hayles said without them, FENZ would not have the numbers it did.
"Thanks to them and their employers for letting them come out to save their communities."
Burn piles could sit dormant for months and were a reminder people should not just visually inspect them, but rake them open and applying water to them, to reduce fire risk, he said.
"There's kilometres and kilometres of open grassland from the middle of the fire ground and with the wind the way it was going, it would push toward Seddon and eventually Blenheim and uncontained it would go on for days."
He said the El Niño weather pattern meant dry conditions could continue for several months.
"We haven't seen any decent rain fall in Marlborough for a few weeks now and unfortunately there is not a lot of decent rain on the horizon so we are going to be in this dry patch for potentially some time, maybe even into April/May."
That meant people in areas of high fire risk, like South Marlborough, needed to remain vigilant about outdoor activities, particularly any spark generating work.
A total fire ban was put in place in South Marlborough in early January, while North Marlborough remained in a restricted fire season.
Data from the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research data shows the general fire risk in the Awatere Valley is high.
Fire and Emergency said there would be an investigation into the cause of the fire.
