While much needed rain fell last night and this morning bringing a small reprieve, there is still work to be done to extinguish the two fires near the Ashley/Rakahuri River in North Canterbury.

The Dunlops Road fire continues to burn along the riverbank in the vicinity of Dunlops Road, Loburn, while the Daiken Fire is burning along the riverbank to the east of the Ashley-Loburn Bridge.

Both fires remain contained and perimeters established, however they are not considered to be under control and despite the rain, the situation remains high-risk.

Full firefighting operations resumed this morning and with cool damp conditions, the focus is on up-lifting the deep-seated burn areas and improving containment lines.

Between 8-10mm of rain has fallen on the fire ground and this, along with reduced temperatures, assisted overnight crews with no major flare-ups reported. The fire is still within its containment lines and no properties are currently at risk.

Deputy Principal Rural Fire Officer for North Canterbury, Dale Wilhelm says that while the rain is welcomed, the danger isn’t over yet.

"Within a couple of days, we’ll be back to where we were, so it’s really important that we have resources on site for at least the next few days actively suppressing these fires. As previously warned, the fire is still active, and we ask the public to stay well away from the area".

Dale thanks the community for their support during the fires, and says their messages and tokens of appreciation have been very well received by all involved.

North Canterbury remains in a Prohibited Fire Season and people should avoid any activities that have the potential to cause sparks.

If people have any concerns, they should immediately dial 111.

ENDS

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