Live: Firefighters responding to large Wanaka fire, evacuations carried out

About 22 houses have been evacuated in Wānaka, where strong winds are hampering firefighters working on a large fire.

Fire and Emergency NZ said they were alerted to a vegetation fire in the suburb of Albert Town at 7:28pm on Saturday, and were attacking it from "multiple points".

In a briefing to RNZ, Fire and Emergency District Assistant Commander Nic McQuillan said firefighters were trying to dampen down the fire, which was being driven by strong North westerly winds.

It was in a difficult place to access, in an area about 750m long, which was made up of gullies and steep hills, with trees and scrub, surrounded by residential houses.

"We can contain the fire, but we are having to reposition to reach each spot ... But we are dealing with it," McQuillan said.

It was not known what caused the fire, or when people who were evacuated would be able to return to houses.

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with information or imagesFire crews from right across central Otago, including Hawea, Tarass and Cromwell, had responded to the blaze

Fire trucks could be seen in various streets around the Lagoon Avenue area, just minutes from central Wānaka. An area of vegetation on a hill was being sprayed and drenched with water just before 9pm.

At the scene Del Tubb said the fire had come right up against his woodshed, near the back of his property:

"We were watching telly and there was a huge roar, which I thought was wind and thought - my God that's strong. Then [his companion] looked out the window - and it was like a blazing inferno."

"It was right across the garden - everything was bright red and it was embers. It was pretty scary stuff at that time, and you don't know what to do, you think 'shall I get out, shall I get my stuff out, move the cars' - all those things. It's really serious, you know."

Tubb said he quickly put on warm gloves and beanies, and was able to move two cars away from the fire area.

Michael Frankton, who uses a wheelchair, said it was a terrifying sight.

"I looked out the window and I could see a raging fire heading towards our house, up the bank in the kanuka," he said.

Sarah Dawson said neighbours acted quickly.

"It just went up like these enormous, raging, high flames, just roaring towards us. It was absolutely terrifying," she said.

"All the neighbours rushed out and people were knocking on each other's doors and checking. People looked after Michael and gave him blankets."

Images posted online showed flames rising above a residential street.

Police are at the scene carrying out evacuations and controlling traffic. A cordon on the corner of Hunt-Lagoon-Sherwin had been lifted.

FENZ's McQuillan said firefighters would be on scene all night into Sunday to dampen any outbreaks.

Saturday was a relatively warm day for winter, with steady and increasing north west winds, and rain had been minimal - if any - this week, the residents said.