Evacuated family reveal the panicked scene of scared, fleeing families.

Hundreds of people are offering beds, blankets and home baking to those who have been displaced by the fires.

More than 1000 residents have fled their homes as a huge fire rages on in Christchurch.

Civil Defence minister questions the emergency response to the Port Hills fires, which have destroyed five houses and caused hundreds to flee.

Police and the Defence Force personnel go door-to-door evacuating residents.

There is no contingency plan if the Port Hills fires are not under control by the time helicopters and planes have to stop fighting it at nightfall.

Find out the latest details on the Christchurch wildfires.

Ex-SAS serviceman and Waimakariri local David Steven Askin, 38, died in a chopper crash near the Sugarloaf car park in the Port Hills yesterday.

People, including Defence Force firefighters, and equipment is being deployed to help contain the wildfires.

There are reports of shots being fired in the Christchurch suburb of Addington this morning.

Helicopters with monsoon buckets are back in the air today as more than 100 residents of a Christchurch seaside community were evacuated from an approaching blaze.

Christchurch International Airport posted a 13 per cent lift in profit after a record number of passengers in the first half of the financial year.

The South Brighton Residents' Association wants to know what happened to earthquake donations for the eastern suburbs.

Four homes were evacuated, but residents have since returned to their homes.

A helicopter pilot has died while fighting wild fires in Christchurch's Port Hills, while helicopter crews will continue to fight two fires until nightfall tonight.

A fire has broken out at a popular beach in Christchurch this evening.

New Zealand is now experiencing the worst of the fire season, a top officer says, with a dangerous combination of high temperatures and low relative humidity creating tinder-dry conditions across eastern hot-spots.

He carried the All Blacks to two world titles, now Richie McCaw is flying people around two huge Port Hills fires.

More than a dozen helicopters, a plane and 100 firefighters continue to battle two massive Canterbury wildfires, but blazes in Hawke's Bay are now largely contained.

Men armed with a firearm and a knife stabbed two Domino's workers in Christchurch.

High winds to bring more misery to fire crews fighting bush blazes today, but no rain where it is needed.

The Airways Radar is also under threat from one of the two major bush fires burning near Christchurch.

A body has been discovered in North Hagley Park in Christchurch this morning.

A Whangarei orchardist is hoping to emulate the success of his mentor, who took out the 2014 Young Fruit Grower of the Year in the Bay of Plenty. Made with funding from NZ On Air.

Christchurch and Japanese academics are developing new drone technologies that would be able to locate people buried in wreckage following natural disasters.

In the past year this health board has agonised over its finances and where budgets should be boosted or cut - all behind closed doors.

Weary passengers forced to wait even longer after plane to Auckland is delayed yet again.

Unsociable hours can make chefing an unpopular profession, but some of New Zealand's best chefs are determined to help youngsters

Scientists have ruled out any suggestion this morning's 5.2 quake was linked to the mass whale stranding at Farewell Spit.

Police have named the person who died in a shed fire in Christchurch on Thursday as 51-year-old Savita Devi Naidu.