Cigarette butt stops Papamoa firefighters' party

Papamoa firefighters were called out to a blaze in sand dunes between Grant and Alexander Places. Photo / File

A discarded cigarette is suspected to have sparked the blaze that called Papamoa's duty firefighting crew away from the brigade's annual honours night dinner on Saturday.

Chief fire officer Allan Bicker said a passing police patrol spotted the blaze in sand dunes about 9.30pm and raised the alarm.

Volunteers and guests had just finished eating their meal at the function in the fire station when the call came in.

It meant that the duty crew, who had been abstaining from alcohol, were on their way to the fire within a couple of minutes.

Mr Bicker said a 5sq m section of dunes between Grant and Alexander Places was burned in the scrub fire.

"It could have been caused by a cigarette butt."

The fire started midway across the dunes but was still close enough to Papamoa Beach Rd for firefighters to use a high pressure delivery hose, taking only 10 to 15 minutes to extinguish.

It turned out to be a busy night for the fire duty crew, which was called out three hours later to a gas leak at 30A Gravatt Rd.

Police again raised the alarm, for what turned out to be a faulty join in a gas pipe outside a restaurant at Fashion Island.

Mr Bicker said the brigade stood by at the scene until the contractor arrived to trace the leak and fix the joint.

Neighbouring Te Puke Fire Brigade was also called on Saturday night to a car accident on No. 3 Rd just before 8pm.

Chief Fire Officer Glenn Williams said the car rolled but the driver was not trapped and the brigade secured the scene to ensure no other vehicle crashed into the car.

Te Puke St John assessed the driver as not requiring hospital treatment and he was able to go home.