Fire and Emergency NZ has advised Marlborough District Council this afternoon that the fire danger on the Wither Hills Farm Park is now ‘Extreme’.

The temperature in the Blenheim area is 36C (at 3.00pm) and could rise further today.

All upper tracks in the Wither Hills Farm Park remain closed. The Mountain Bike Park and all of the Wither Hills Farm Park, except for the lower tracks, are closed in the interests of public safety.

Marlborough District Council strongly advises people not enter the closed areas and use only the Lower Farm Track, Mapp Track, the town boundary or Taylor River Reserve tracks in the early morning.

‘Upper Track Closed’ signs have been installed at numerous entry points in the Farm Park to reinforce the message.

For further information go to the NIWA Fire Weather Indices website: https://fireweather.niwa.co.nz/region/Marlborough%20Kaikoura

A map of the Farm Park’s tracks is available here

© Scoop Media