The cost of battling a forest fire in Marlborough is approaching $1 million - and local landowners will foot the bill.
Firefighters are still trying to put out the last of the blaze in the Waikakaho Valley, but the Fire Service's presence has been scaled down to six crews.
The area's deputy principal rural fire officer John Foley says the latest estimate for the firefighting cost is $900,000.
He says rural landowners are liable for the cost of putting out blazes on their properties, and this recent fire underlines the importance of having insurance.
A total fire ban is in place for the Marlborough District, and the weather outlook ahead remains very dry.
