Firefighters hope to gain upper hand at Kaimaumau tomorrow

The Kaimaumau wetland fire rages behind the dunes of East Beach. Photo / Lisa Everitt

Weary firefighters in the Far North are praying the wind switches direction tomorrow as predicted as they continue to battle the region's biggest blaze in a decade.

A fire in the Kaimaumau wetland north of Kaitaia has been burning since Saturday, consuming more than 2000ha of a Department of Conservation reserve and forcing about 30 families from their homes.

A gusty northerly wind peaking most days around 3-4pm has been driving the flames towards Kaimaumau's roughly 50 houses, which are clustered along Rangaunu Harbour at the southern edge of the wetland.

Low humidity has also been troubling the firefighters because it allows flying embers to ignite spot fires, often at a significant distances from the fire fronts.

Columns of smoke blot out the sun at East Beach, near Kaimaumau. Photo / Lisa Everitt

This afternoon's conditions were, however, ''relatively benign'' for firefighting, and Fire and Emergency NZ Northland manager Wipari Henwood had his hopes set on Wednesday's forecast change to westerly winds.

That would push the flames harmlessly towards the sea and allow Kaimaumau residents to go home after staying with family, at marae or at Waiharara School since Sunday's evacuation.

Southerly winds are expected from Thursday, which would work even more in firefighters' favour.

Fire and Emergency NZ Northland region manager Wipari Henwood at the Kaimaumau fire headquarters. Photo / Peter de Graaf

On Monday night ground crews had used bulldozers and diggers to clear a firebreak across the northern side of the fire. Two firebreaks, one of them 12 metres wide, had earlier been bulldozed around the village.

Today's focus had been on securing the fire's northern front.

Up to 10 helicopters were also still working to douse hotspots in the middle of the fire.

Henwood hoped to ''have the fire in a box'' by the end of today but said it was likely to keep burning for several weeks.

Up to 11 helicopters have been working every daylight hour to fight the blaze with water scooped from Rangaunu Harbour. Photo / Lisa Everitt

On Sunday night flames had come to within a few hundred metres of the northernmost homes in the village but so far none had been damaged.

An investigation into the cause of the fire is expected to start once the fire is fully contained.