Another scary night for Canterbury residents who had to flee their homes as fire tore through the Waikari Valley.
Flames ripped through 300 hectares of land overnight, threatening homes and property, and sending flames flaring high into the night.
With the fire now declared "contained", residents have been allowed to return to their homes as firefighters shift their focus to dampening down hotspots.
Residents but one have also returned to their homes in Christchurch's Port Hills, where another major fire is still burning, five days since it began.
Niva Chittock reports.
