Fire crews working at a vegetation fire on the hill above the southern end of Wellington Airport near Moa Point. Photo: RNZ/Bill Hickman
Firefighters have extinguished a vegetation fire that spread up the face of a hill behind a pharmaceutical manufacturing business near the southern end of Wellington's airport.
A scorched triangle of vegetation about 80 feet at its widest point marks the path of the blaze on the steep slope behind the building.
Workers at the business evacuated just before 2pm after the alarm was raised by construction crews working nearby. They were allowed to return to the building just before 3pm.
Fire and Emergency (FENZ) Wellington District Commander Gareth Hughes said they will work to determine the cause of the blaze and crews will remain on site to monitor for any flare ups.
"The very nature of fires up slopes - they burn really quickly up and across these slopes with a nice southerly wind behind them," Hughes said.
"At this stage, I can't tell you exactly where the start of the fire is until we've got a bit more understanding of where the seat of the fire is."
Photo: FENZ/Gareth Hughes
The fire sent a large plume of smoke across the airport and towards southern suburbs.
Four fire trucks and a command unit were onsite at Moa Point at the peak of the fire, and firefighters carrying hoses could be seen on the ridgeline.
"There is a large amount of smoke in the area. If you are impacted by this, please close your windows and doors, and stay inside if possible," a spokesperson said earlier on Thursday.
"The southern end of Stewart Duff Drive where our crews are working is closed. Please avoid the area and use the other entrance to Wellington Airport."
Fire crews could be seen at the top of a ridge dampening down hotspots and quelling the fire that has sent plumes of smoke across the airport towards the city in a brisk southerly wind.
Smoke can be seen coming from the hill at the southern end of the airport's runway. Photo: RNZ/Lucy Emson
An airport spokesperson said the blaze was not on airport land and that flights continued as normal.
Wellington City Council said the fire was in scrub behind its sludge minimisation facility, but no onsite, and confirmed there had been no injuries.
Police had closed off the coastal road near either side of Stewart Duff Drive, however, it has since reopened.
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