Fire crews fight overnight to save Fiordland Lodge

A large number of firefighters have worked through the night to contain a fire which broke out late last night at a lodge on the outskirts of Te Anau.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand dispatched crews from as far away as Invercargill and Balfour to join local brigades after the fire was reported around 11.15pm.

Assistant Commander Nic McQuillan says that they have contained the fire to one wing of Fiordland Lodge, but work is continuing to suppress a flare-up and monitor hotspots. He described the fire as complicated to tackle, due to the design of the building and the roof construction.

At the peak of the fire there were eight fire trucks, an aerial appliance, five tankers and two support vehicles tackling the blaze. Firefighters responded from Te Anau, Manapouri, Mossburn, Blackmount, Lumsden and Invercargill.

Operations began scaling back about 8am but Nic McQuillan says the aerial appliance, two pumps and two tankers will still be on site for several hours.

Relief crews are en route from Winton, Otautau and Invercargill to replace the personnel who have been working on the fire overnight.

Drivers in the area are asked to be mindful of Fire and Emergency vehicles in the area this morning, including water tankers.