10ha fire in Ahipara, Northland - four homes evacuated

A fourth fire has broken out in New Zealand today. Image / Google

Four properties have been evacuated in Northland where a fire has chewed through 10ha of bush.

It comes as emergency crews scramble to fight three separate blazes roaring in the South Island - one in the Tasman, another in Lake Ohau and the third in Livingstone.

Police say four homes have been evacuated in Ahipara, where a bush fire has been raging near Ngakaroa Rd since around 12.45pm today.

Three houses nearby have been evacuated, more as a precaution, as at this stage the flames are not putting the houses in danger. Nobody is believed to have been harmed in the fire, Northern Advocate reported.

Police have closed the bottom of Ngakuroa Rd to prevent people from getting to the site to "help out".

At 11.50am firefighters were alerted to a bush fire in the Tasman District, just off Abel Tasman Drive, in the Ligar Bay area.

Seven crews are battling the scrub fire, which is 250m x 250m, with the help of two helicopters.

Meanwhile, dozens of homes at Lake Ohau in Waitaki District are believed to have been destroyed in a major forest fire that is understood to have been sparked by an electrical arc from power lines.

The fire was about 200ha in size at 11.30am with very strong wind making for challenging firefighting conditions.

Five helicopters are helping fight the fire, with another on the way.

A large forest fire has also broken out in the settlement of Livingstone, about 30km northwest of Oamaru.

Fire and Emergency NZ said it was alerted at 3.15am to the pine forest blaze on MacKenzie Rd. A number of homes have been evacuated.

Sixteen crews, including a command team from Dunedin, are trying to bring the fire under control.

They are being assisted by eight helicopters with monsoon buckets.

Elsewhere, just north of Auckland, firefighters are tackling a blaze in Dairy Flat that has ripped through more than 1.5ha.

Six appliances were working to contain the fire, including one helicopter, along Bodhisattva Rd.

The alarm was raised to firefighters shortly after 2pm, Fire and Emergency Services northern shift manager Colin Underdown said.