Fire crews and three helicopters with monsoon buckets have contained a blaze near Clyde this evening.

Crews from five Central Otago brigades have been fighting the blaze on a steep hillside above Lake Dunstan, on Fruitgrowers Rd, and will continue working in strong winds to secure the perimeter until dark.

Police evacuated people from a nearby freedom camping area and ask that people stay away. 

The fire, which was reported at about 4.20pm, is understood to have reignited from an earlier fire, which was started by fireworks last night.

Strong winds had fanned the blaze, which had moved uphill and had not been easy for crews to reach on the ground.

Fire and Emergency incident controller Bobby Lamont said the firefighters from local volunteer brigades and the helicopter pilots had done a "tremendous" job in "very challenging" conditions to limit the fire to three hectares.

"The winds in the area have been horrific - thankfully the face where the fire is burning is slightly sheltered, and we slammed extra resources onto it to make sure it didn't impact the transmission lines from the dam."

He said a crew would remain at the scene overnight and further ground crews would be back in the morning.

A passerby, who wished to remain anonymous, witnessed it while driving over the Clyde hill passing lane.

The fire is located on Fruitgrowers Rd, near the rowing club. PHOTO: Supplied

She said she could see smoke, which was billowing down the gully.

“Lots of [the] area already looks scorched.”

It is one of several vegetation fires, which crews were battling around the South Island today.

Central Otago is already in a restricted fire season due to the dry conditions and elevated fire danger, as is the Lakes District and Upper Waitaki.

Bobby urges people to think twice about letting off fireworks in windy conditions, and be aware that it only takes one spark to cause a wildfire.

People who have lit outdoor fires in the past few days are urged to check they are fully extinguished, as strong winds can fan old fires back into life.

Anyone considering lighting a fire outdoors needs to visit www.checkitsalright.nz to make sure there are no restrictions in place and to read up on fire safety advice.