Another fire in Far North: Helicopter helping put out blaze near Kaitaia

A helicopter is being borrowed from the Ahipara firefight to help put out a blaze near Kaitaia this afternoon.

Emergency services were told about a small vegetation fire on Gill Rd just before 3pm, a Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokeswoman says.

She said the fire is about 20m by 30m.

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Two fire engines are there and a tanker is on the way. A helicopter is coming from Ahipara to help put out the blaze.

The fire at Ahipara burned through at least 56 hectares of scrub and native bush after setting alight in Ahipara Gumfields Historic Reserve yesterday evening.

More than 70 people spent the night at Roma Marae in Ahipara after they had been evacuated from their homes.

Firefighters rest at a staging area while a helicopter with monsoon bucket works on the blaze. Photo / Peter de Graaf

As of 10am today, incident controller Rory Renwick, a Fire and Emergency NZ (Fenz) wildfire specialist, said the blaze was 95 per cent contained.

The number of choppers in use had been reduced from six to three. Some would remain on standby while others would be released as the day went on.

Far North Mayor John Carter says the fire in Ahipara, which forced the evacuation of about 100 houses last night, is a warning about just how dry Northland is.

"Fortunately we've got away without loss of life, loss of property or injury, but every resident and every visitor to Northland has a responsibility to make sure this sort of thing doesn't happen again. It's a massive warning."