Incredible drone footage flying over Lake Ōhau Village shows just how lucky some property owners were, while others had their homes burned to the ground.
Insurance assessors surveyed the loss in the burnt-up village on Wednesday as 100 firefighters continued to battle the blaze on the ground.
Dozens of homes were lost while others remain standing.
The 10-minute drone footage shows the destruction caused by the Lake Ōhau fire. The drone was used to help search for pets still missing after residents had to flee their homes when the fire broke out early Sunday.
Photos of the fire's aftermath also tell a grim story; some houses remain in-tact, others destroyed.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) said firefighting conditions had been more favourable on Wednesday, allowing for good progress.
"They are continuing work to secure the perimeter, assess dangerous trees, and manage hot spots," FENZ said in a statement.
Speaking to Newshub, Waitaki District Mayor Gary Kircher said the council is looking at how they can further assist residents.
"[I was] talking to a gentleman today who was just chuffed that he had a new pair of underpants on," he said. "So it is about helping with the basics."
FENZ said helicopters weren't in the air assisting with firefighting efforts on Wednesday but remain on standby.
"We have worked with a small group of the affected people to enable them to return to their property that is away from the village area today."
