Crews have contained multiple fires in Christchurch's Port Hills, within hours of igniting.

16 appliances remain on the site, in the area Coopers Knob on Summit Road.

There's no indication on how the fires started.

Social media images earlier showed a significant outbreak.

Twitter users report the fire is above Governors Bay on the Tai Tapu side of the Port Hills.

Talkback callers to Marcus Lush say they can see the flames from their homes in Halswell.

One person who texted the show said they could see the fire and emergency services surrounding it from Christchurch Airport.