Firefighters forced to withdraw from fire

Emergency services were called about the fire around 7.15pm on Wednesday. Photo / File

Volunteer firefighters responding to an emergency in Te Puke were forced to withdraw for their own safety after allegedly encountering a person whose actions prompted police intervention.

Emergency services were called to a caravan fire on Manoeka Rd, west of the Bay of Plenty town, about 7.15pm yesterday.

Te Puke fire chief Glenn Williams was part of the response crew and said the person's alleged actions ''caused our team to withdraw from the scene, from extinguishing (the fire), until police arrived and secured it."

It was the first time Williams could remember where the brigade was forced to withdraw from a situation for safety reasons.

Williams declined to comment further, citing police as the appropriate party to discuss those details.

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It is understood a knife was involved.

A police spokeswoman said a 60-year-old man was arrested but has since been released with no charges laid.

A spokesman for Fire and Emergency New Zealand told the Bay of Plenty Times the blaze was minor and had been extinguished by 8pm.