Fire and Emergency NZ issues warning over extreme fire risk

An extreme fire danger period has been issued for Tauranga and coastal Bay of Plenty from now and peaking at 3pm to 4pm today.

The region is under a total fire ban.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand has issued a warning that people to take extra care with activities which could create sparks and cause a fire such as smoking, mowing low, dry grass and at forestry operations and heavy transport.

A Fire and Emergency New Zealand statement said: "There are many ways in which a vegetation fire can start and become devastating as New Zealand has recently seen."

"Consider undertaking high-risk activities in the early morning or late evening when conditions are less extreme."

Today is expected to bring westerly winds and a high of 28C in Tauranga and Fire and Emergency New Zealand said dry fire-fuels combined with wind and high temperatures contribute to the risk.

"These conditions mean that there is a strong potential for any fire to spread rapidly and be exceedingly difficult to extinguish."

Wind and high temperatures could contribute to a extreme fire risk. Photo / File

The organisation had specialist crews and firefighters who could be deployed by helicopter on alert throughout the Bay of Plenty.

In late February firefighters were called to at least six separate grass, shelter belt and scrub fires along railway lines between Hull Rd and Matapihi in the space of 90 minutes. Mount Maunganui residents were forced to garden hoses to try to protect their homes.

In all, nine crews from Tauranga, Pāpāmoa and Te Puke were called to the various fires.

The flames and thick smoke were visible from State Highway 29A and nearby residents used garden hoses to fend off the flames.

At the time KiwiRail's acting chief operations officer Henare Clarke said the heat had dried out vegetation in the corridor contributing to "an unprecedented number of small fire breakouts".

Fire and Emergency New Zealand reminded people to call 111 if they saw anything suspicious.