Rural North Island fires keep emergency services busy

Firefighters have been battling a number of large rural fires across the North Island. Photo / File

Firefighters have been battling a number of large rural fires across the North Island.

Central fire communications shift manager Jan Wills said firefighters had been kept busy, and were currently at the scene of four rural fires.

This morning firefighters remained at the scene of a large grass fire in Himatangi, 20km west of Palmerston North, Ms Wills said.

The fire on Kellow Rd started around 1pm yesterday, and at its peak 20 fire trucks and four helicopters worked to control the fire that burned through 150 hectares of farm land.

Ms Wills said two firefighters had suffered from minor injuries as a result of the fire.

"We were there all night and will probably be there most of the day as well," she said.

Fire services were also called to a rural fire near Palmerston North at about 8pm last night, after 1 hectare of cut logs caught fire.

Ms Wills said at the fires peak, 10 rural and fire service trucks were in attendance.

Firefighters had managed to control the fire this morning, and remained at the scene, she said.

Meanwhile in Tangimoana near Palmerston North, firefighters were called to a hay shed after hay bales caught fire about 6am this morning.

Ms Wills said firefighters now had the fire under control.

This morning, firefighters were also working to control a blaze at another hay shed in New Plymouth.

Emergency services were called to the scene of the fire on Wortley Rd just before 6am this morning and five trucks were currently working to control the fire, Ms Wills said.

She said it was too early to determine what may have caused the fires.