Lake Ōhau Village residents hugged each other and cried as they returned from their first visit to the area after a fire ripped through 1608ha and destroyed up to 50 properties.
The residents boarded a bus early on Monday afternoon to tour the village, which one local described as "completely unrecognisable".
Others described a "tangled mass of corrugated roofs" and "cars that look like a Molotov cocktail exploded inside them".
/cloudfront-ap-southeast-2.images.arcpublishing.com/nzme/DM3PWAJ5IBBEXPMHVKNL2RNRHQ.jpg)
Lake Ōhau residents board a bus to tour the fire-ravaged area on Monday afternoon. (Photo / Logan Church)
Fire and Emergency's Graeme Still said on Monday afternoon he was "quietly confident" the Lake Ōhau fire which broke out early on Sunday morning, was contained.
Fire crews were maintaining a perimeter around the blaze.
Earlier on Monday, Civil Defence Minister Peeni Henare said the Government was contributing $100,000 into the mayoral relief fund.
Henare and Conservation Minister Eugenie Sage toured the fire site on Monday morning.
Take your Radio, Podcasts and Music with you
