Six fire crews from around western Southland have quelled a fire at a Riverton sawmill this evening.

Fire and Emergency received a call at 6.45pm that smoke was coming from the corner of a building at a sawmill on Ward Road, Waipango.

Fire communications centre duty shift manager Brent Dunn said the Riverton, Thornbury and Wallacetown fire brigades responded to find a 10m x 25m milling building well ablaze, along with nearby slash piles. Extra crews were then turned out from Otauatu and Orepuki.

As of just after 8pm the milling building had been extinguished but two slash piles were still smouldering and fire crews expected to be on the scene for some time to ensure they were fully out, Mr Dunn said.