A family was forced to flee their home after an out of control rubbish fire engulfed 2ha of scrub, prompting a reminder about the total fire ban in Northland.
Residents tried to douse flames with chilly bins filled with water until fire crews arrived. The smoke from Saturday's blaze in Whananaki could be seen "all over the district", said Whananaki Volunteer Rural Fire Force fire controller Mark Arrowsmith.
Mr Arrowsmith said the cause of the fire at the end of Rockell Road, near Whanananki North, was a small rubbish fire. It was thought the person who lit it was not aware of a total fire ban which means lighting any fire is illegal throughout Northland.
"It started in scrub land but that backs on to native bush and there was a house in the bay - the fire came within 10m of it. They took their kids and evacuated," he said.
"It's very, very dry. If it was as windy as it [was yesterday] we would have been in the realm of helicopters."
Three fire trucks and eight volunteers from Whananaki, and a truck from Hikurangi went to the blaze about 2.30pm.
"It was quite severe it could be seen all over the district. It took probably an hour and a half to get it under control and we were there for three hours.
"Without [the volunteers] it could have spread to the bush and gone up the hill and if that had happened it could have gone for miles," he said.
Anyone found responsible for causing unlawful fires can be convicted and subject to a term of imprisonment. Mr Arrowsmith said he was not sure if any action had been taken against the person who lit the rubbish fire.
Fire crews around Northland were also kept busy on Saturday with small fires across the region.
At 11.30am on the Kerikeri Volunteer Fire Brigade were called to a small rubbish fire in Waipapa and later that day Ruakaka Volunteer Fire Brigade were called to a 3m by 4m gorse fire outside GAS Ruakaka on Port Marsden Highway about 11pm.
Meanwhile, A 20-year-old Kaipara man appeared in the Whangarei District Court on Saturday on one charge of arson relating to a recent fire at Kelly's Bay.