Firefighters responding to a shelter belt fire caused by fireworks celebrating Diwali in Te Puke were hampered in their efforts to access the blaze by the hundreds of festival revellers who had gathered to watch the display.
Te Puke volunteer fire brigade was called to reports of the shelter belt fire near the Sikh Temple on No.3 Rd at 9.30pm.
Fire chief Glenn Williams said the crew could see the fire from some distance away on the main road as they were travelling toward it.
"The flames were shooting high into the air. Of course it was quite some way off the road so we couldn't get too close. There were a number of sparks showering on to the ground."
Mr Williams said their efforts in getting to the fire were also hampered by the hundreds of people who had gathered to celebrate the Diwali festival.
"I don't know if it was because of the fireworks finishing or because of the fire starting but a lot of people were starting to leave. So as we were coming up Number 3 Rd there were a lot of people trying to leave."
Mr Williams said the truck also struggled to by parked cars on the road but they eventually made their way to an orchard entrance where they were able to access the fire and attack it from both ends.
"It was a big fire, not the easiest to get to."
Mr Williams said the fire stretched about 50m and was caused by the fireworks display.
The fire was also threatening to spread into a neighbouring kiwifruit orchard.
Mr Williams said the display had been set up too close to the shelter belt and there was not enough done to ensure control of a fire, if one began.
"The fireworks operator did have a couple of extinguishers but they would have been totally ineffective for a shelter belt fire. Really you need a lot of water and a pump of some sort to keep it going."
This year's Diwali celebrations in Te Puke were the first where the volunteer brigade had not been asked to standby as part of the fireworks display.
"It does just come down to these fireworks operators making sure they have some adequate firefighting resources there."