A huge vegetation fire has burned through about 390 hectares of land at Walter Peak Station, near Queenstown, since it broke out on Tuesday 6 October 2026. That’s roughly 390 rugby fields of grass and scrub, all burned in just one afternoon.
The fire started when a controlled burn lit the week before flared back up in windy weather. It quickly grew from about 146 hectares to 390 hectares, with the most intense flames burning near McKinlays Creek, east of the Walter Peak homestead.
About 25 firefighters and six helicopters fitted with monsoon buckets worked to hold back the blaze, with crews travelling from Frankton, Glenorchy and Mossburn to help. Fire and Emergency’s Assistant District Commander, Nic McQuillan, said the main area of active fire was “around McKinlays Creek, east of the Walter Peak homestead.”
Firefighters had to stop once it got dark, but were back at it the next morning with more crew and helicopters. The historic homestead and nearby buildings were kept safe, while residents at Hanleys Farm and Jacks Point were told to shut their windows and doors because of smoke in the air.
One tourist watching from a boat on Lake Wakatipu, Steve Matthews, said it was “quite unnerving and scary, really” hearing the pine trees crackle as they burned.
No one has been hurt in the fire, and firefighters are continuing to work to bring it fully under control.
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