Firecrackers seen going off before three scrub fires in Northland

A car was seen leaving the area before the fire on Abbey Caves Rd tore through 3ha of regenerated pine trees. Photo / Tania Whyte

Fire investigators in Northland are working with police to identify people seen firing firecrackers out of a car just prior to three vegetation fires at the same time.

One of those fires within 2km of each other on Ngunguru Rd on Sunday afternoon took firefighters nearly two hours to put out— just a day after a major blaze tore through regenerated pine trees on Abbey Caves Rd.

Deputy principal rural fire officer Northland, Wayne Martin, said the fire on Abbey Caves Rd on Saturday afternoon that burnt through 3ha of pine trees was also treated as suspicious and that information about a car seen leaving the area has been passed on to police.

Fire crews from Whangārei, Onerahi, Kamo and Hikurangi with the help of four helicopters brought the fire, on Whangārei District Council land, under control.

"That fire started on the side of the road and a vehicle was seen leaving the area around when the fire was noticed. All that information has been passed on to police," Martin said.

On the Ngunguru Rd fires, he said a vehicle was seen with people firing firecrackers out the window before the fire started.

He was not in a position to release more information, including whether all the four fires were related and possibly started from firecrackers.

Martin reiterated earlier warnings for people to be more responsible around lighting fires, especially at this time of the year.

Firefighting resources were stretched during all four fires.

Ngunguru fire brigade station officer Chris Gibbs said two appliances were sent to put out the biggest of the three fires on Scow Landing around 5.30pm on Sunday that torched about 300sq m of mainly gorse and pampas.

At the same time, he said fire crews from Whangārei, Kamo and Hikurangi were dealing with the other two fires along Ngunguru Rd.

On Saturday, Whangārei firefighters were attending to an escaped control burnout on Harris Rd in Glenbervie when the Abbey Caves Rd fire was notified to emergency services.

The blaze forced the closure of tracks used and maintained by the Whangārei Mountain Bike Club's 80 members.

Quick action by fire crews from Onerahi and Kamo that were the first on the scene removed the initial threat on two houses.

Crews will be at the scene for the next couple of days to ensure there are no flare-ups.

There are significant hotspots but the fire is well contained.

Early this year, Fire and Emergency NZ spent more than $320,000 fighting four major scrub fires alone in the mid and Far North.

People can check their local fire status at checkitsalright.nz