UPDATED 5.49PM A homicide inquiry has been launched after a woman's body was found yesterday on a rural Canterbury road where firefighters were battling a series of suspicious fires.

The body of the as yet unidentified woman, who police have told locals had been "missing for a little while", was discovered on Main Rakaia Rd, 500m from State Highway One, by a member of the public driving past at about 7.40pm.

LISTEN: Newstalk ZB reporter Jessica McCarthy speaks to Chris Lynch

Police say the death could be connected to a series of suspicious fires in the Selwyn area yesterday, and are hunting the occupants of two people in a 4WD.

"Police are still working to piece together exactly what has happened, and there are a number of enquiries which are still to be made," said Detective Inspector Darryl Sweeney in a statement tonight.

The woman’s body has now been removed from the scene, however police and specialist staff will be remaining to complete further forensic examinations.

The road also remains closed at this time.

"Police are still working to ascertain the cause of the woman’s death, and a post-mortem is scheduled to take place tomorrow," Mr Sweeney said.
"However, the current circumstance lead us to believe this is a homicide investigation."

Police are still working to complete a formal identification of the victim.

"Until this has been done, and her family has been advised, police will not be in a position to release a name."

The manager of the dairy farm where the woman's body was found was told by police the woman had been "missing for a little while".

The farmer, who only wanted to be known as Jori, knew about the fires in the area last night.

But it wasn't until he got up about midnight that he saw police outside his property.

"I went to have a look and they told me there was a body there, a lady who had been missing for a little while," he said.

"[The body] was right by the boundary fence, between the farm and the road.

"They said they were looking for two occupants of a 4WD who had been in the Rakaia river."

Local dairy farmer Michael Norton said thieves stole two 20 litre containers of petrol from his farm on Main Rakaia Rd on Saturday night.

He said they smashed the lock off shipping container and targeted the petrol, leaving behind tools, a water blaster and pump, of "more value than petrol".

Mr Norton noticed the break-in yesterday afternoon and reported it to police today.

"I thought with all these fires and the body, and having petrol stolen like that, it seemed like a strange thing," he said.

"So I put two and two together, thinking there could be a link there. Obviosuly we don't know that for sure, but it made me a bit nervous."

Drivers wanting to access a cordoned off section of Main Rakaia Road are being told by the police scene guard it may be closed off for several days.

The main fires were lit along the bed of the Selwyn River, and it took four fire trucks backed up by water tankers and helicopters to bring them under control.

SEE ALSO: Fires at Selwyn River contained

Rain also helped to contain the blazes that have burnt across seven hectares of land.

Two Department of Conservation fire crews are working to completely extinguish them.

DOC spokesman Andy Thompson said there is some forest and houses to the north of two fire sites, and so the crews are creating a fire break between the fires and the properties.

Mr Thompson said the fire danger is very high.

Main Rakaia Road is closed between State Highway One and Old South Road.

It's a stretch of road that looks very similar to any other in rural New Zealand, with a milking shed and irrigators visible in the cordoned off area.

The only thing to suggest it's far from normal is a bright fluorescent light, 300 metres from the cordon's edge which has been lighting the scene overnight.

Anyone with information on any suspicious vehicles or people in the area is being asked to contact police.