A helicopter with a monsoon bucket was used to fight a major fire in an aircraft hangar at Neils Beach on the West Coast today.
The fire, about 40km southwest of Haast, was reported just after 9am.
It is now out but has left the building extensively damaged.
Fire crews were on the way from Haast, Franz Josef and Fox Glacier.
The fire service said there were no aircraft inside the hanger.
The hangar is believed to be owned by Greenstone Helicopters and is also the base for a fishing company.
