Homes evacuated

People had to be evacuated from their homes in Dunedin overnight yesterday after a scrub fire took hold. Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman Andrew Norris said firefighters were called to Kaikorai Valley Rd, just north of Kaikorai Valley College, about 3.15am yesterday. Dunedin City Fire Station senior station officer Chris Lind said scrub, gorse and trees were on fire over about 50 square metres. He said ‘‘about half a dozen’’ properties had to be evacuated by police. People were allowed back in their homes about 5am. Firefighters were still dampening down hotspots about 7am. The cause of the fire had not yet been identified, but it was not being treated as suspicious. A fire investigator would be on the scene later in the morning.