Fire crews making steady progress to control blaze

Efforts to fight the Walters Bluff have quickly paid off. NewstalkZB correspondent Murray Leaning told Tim Dower the fire came very close to houses. He says fire crews look like they may not have the blaze controlled but they have certainly got it contained. "The fire crews did a great job creating a fire line to prevent the spread." Fire crews in Tasman are making slow but steady progress throughout the rest of the region. The wildfire, which began burning on Tuesday night, now covers close to 2100 hectares. Wakefield residents are among the most recent to be evacuated. Fire and Emergency's John Sutton told Tim Dower there's still a long way to go but things are looking up. "We have got around 85% contained in that particular area. As long as we don't get interfered with too much, we should have it completely contained by tomorrow." Listen to the audio above as Murray Leaning and John Sutton speak to Tim Dower filling in on Larry Williams Drive