Clear skies across the Mackenzie District will aid firefighter efforts for most of Thursday, with westerly winds and possible thunderstorms expected later this afternoon.

A Fire and Emergency Urban Search and Rescue drone team has conducted an overnight thermal imaging flight across the incident ground in targeted areas, with several hotspots detected. Firefighters are continuing to work hard in these focused areas, assisted by heavy machinery crews to extinguish the hotspots.

A large contingency of firefighters are on the ground today from Lake Clearwater/Mt Somers, Alford Forest, Upper Rakaia, Ashburton, The Pines/ Waikuku, Twizel, Canterbury High Country Team, and Spencerville, assisted by Department of Conservation crews.

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