Fire rips through Eric Armishaw Park wetlands, home to migratory birds

A firefighter putting out a blaze at the Eric Armishaw Park in Auckland on Sunday. Photo / Hayden Woodward

A large fire at a wetlands area of Eric Armishaw Park in Auckland saw several fire crews race to the scene to tackle the blaze on Sunday afternoon.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) said some 200sq m of toetoe grass had been on fire and spreading.

Eric Armishaw Park is on the shoreline of Waitemata Harbour in the Auckland suburb of Point Chevalier.

Fenz communication centre shift manager Colin Underdown said four pump crews were sent to the scene, putting out the fire in about an hour.

"[The fire] was quite large and very visible so we had lots of calls to it," he said.

Four fire crews took about an hour to put out the blaze. Photo / Hayden Woodward

The park is home to migratory birds. Photo / Hayden Woodward

A screenshot of the approximate location of the fire. Photo / Google

An eyewitness said the fire occurred at a wetland area not far from the park playground.

Police were called to the scene and will be working with Fenz to determine the cause of the fire, said a spokesperson.

Home to migratory shorebirds like the little pied cormorant and the white-faced heron, volunteers have been clearing invasive weeds and replanting the park with native plants in recent years to improve the habitat for these birds and other species.