Control of a Canterbury wildfire has been handed back to DOC

Fire crews have spent nearly two days battling the blaze at Porter's Pass - which closed State Highway 73 for most of Sunday.

Fire and Emergency says it reached 200 hectares in size.

But they say the perimeter is well contained - and they've handed control of firefighting efforts back to DOC.

There are concerns the fire may have been deliberately lit - after police found a car at the scene which had earlier beused in an attempted ATM theft in Darfield.