Updated 9:24am:

The effort to get on top of a scrub fire near Te Anau is being stepped up this morning.

It's gone through just over 1300 hectares near Mount Prospect, including private forestry blocks and some DOC land.

Six helicopters are using buckets to dump water on the flames.

Principal Rural fire officer Elton Smith said there's also some heavy work being done on the ground.

"Working with hand tools, digging up hot spots and suppressing areas that are actively burning."

Smith said there were strong winds yesterday but today there's blue sky with very little wind.