Drones with thermal imaging equipment have begun checking the flanks of the Tongariro National Park fireground for hotspots.

Fire and Emergency’s specialist drone crew completed one flank of the fire last night, flying over the containment lines which are up to 30 metres wide. They will return tonight to complete the second flank.

District Commander Nigel Dravitzki says that the information from the drones help ground crews target their efforts to consolidate the containment lines right around the fireground.

There are 35 crews of Department of Conservation firefighters working on the ground today. One helicopter is on standby, but conditions have been too misty with extensive low cloud to enable a visual flyover of the area.

"The weather is perfect for fire suppression, no good for getting an aerial view of the ground," Nigel Dravitzki says. "Once we are able to get airborne, we will fly around the full perimeter and get an accurate measure of the area. Indications are that the size has not increased since Sunday night but I won’t be confident about that until we have seen it." The last estimate was 2800 hectares.

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