Hundreds of homes have been evacuated in Christchurch as a huge wildfire raged on its outskirts. One pilot has died in a helicopter crash, and least eleven homes have burned down. A state of emergency has been declared, and the military has been deployed to help firefighters. It is unclear what caused the fire; prime minister Bill English has said that it looked suspicious, and investigations are continuing. The fire broke out in two separate places on Monday in the dry hills south of the city, before merging into one blaze which now covers about 1,800ha. More than 130 firefighters have been deployed, along with 14 helicopters and three aircraft. A total of 400 homes have been evacuated by police, but hundreds of other people have also chosen to leave the area. A police spokesman warned people that fires can change direction and move quickly, giving little time to escape. ‘If you're worried, don't leave it too late - it's better to be safe than sorry.’