Scrub fire rips through farmland

Photo / File

A scrub fire ripped through half an acre of a south Auckland farm last night.

It is the latest in a series of scrub fires which have prompted Auckland Council to impose a complete fire ban on the region.

Firefighters were called to the fire on a farm in Parata Rd in Mangatawhiri, southeast of Bombay, about 10pm yesterday.

The fire spread to about 200m by 200m of scrub, Fire Service northern communications shift manager Tania Matthews said.

"It was on farmland, no buildings were threatened."

Six fire trucks brought the blaze under control in less than an hour.

Auckland Council announced a total fire ban yesterday after a week marked by numerous scrub fires, including a massive blaze on Great Barrier Island which burned for several days.

A scrub fire in the Auckland suburb of Kingsland yesterday afternoon forced the evacuation of an apartment block.

Residents returned to the Rossmay Terrace apartment building after firefighters used a thermal imaging camera to scan the outer wall to ensure there was no further fire danger.

The fire was near the western railway line, but did not affect trains.

Also yesterday, a large bush fire caused a landslip that closed a road between Papakura and Hunua Township, south of Auckland.

Fire Service national rural fire officer Murray Dudfield yesterday said it had been the worst fire season in four years.

The worst areas have been Hawkes Bay, Wairarapa, Manawatu, central North Island, north Waikato, Auckland and Northland, he said.

The fire risk was very high or extreme in many cases.

Rural fire authorities across the North Island remain on a "briefing watch" and are monitoring the situation on a daily basis.