A massive bushfire has churned through more than 5,600 acres on New Zealand’s South Island in what is believed to be the country’s worst forest fire since 1955.
A state of emergency was declared on Feb. 6, two days after the Pigeon Valley Fire began near the city of Nelson. As of Monday, the blaze was still scorching the island’s arid countryside, but as firefighting conditions improved, around 3,000 evacuated residents were allowed to return home.
Local MP Nick Smith described the region as a “tinderbox” and said 70,000 residents in the fire’s range remain “on edge.”
Fire chiefs have warned that the flames could continue until March.