Rural crews use specialist vehicles to access fire in Northland

Two helicopters and two rural crews were needed to bring blaze under control. Photo/ Supplied

Two rural fire crews used specialist four wheel drive fire trucks to traverse farmland to access an out of control burn in Northland.

Deputy principal rural fire officer Wayne Martin said a crew from Whananaki Rural Fire Brigade and another rural brigade from Maungakaramea were called to the fire on Tahere Rd, off Pataua North Rd, about 3.30pm on Wednesday.

Two helicopters were also used to douse the blaze.

The fire had started as a controlled burn in a forestry skid area. However, it spread to an area of slash and started to burn over an area of 2 hectares.

The rural brigades were called in as their appliances were able to cross the farm paddocks to the fire scene in a steep gully.

Martin said the crews drew water from a creek at the bottom of the valley and got into a rotation.

The crews left about 7.30pm after the fire was contained and yesterday contractors were brought into work over the area and put out any hot spots.

Martin said it was a warning that while it was an open fire season, the region was still very dry and fires could spread very quickly.

"Even though the temperatures are dropping and there are some heavy dews we still haven't had significant rain. It's still very dry and you only have to look at a few farmers' dams to see they are pretty empty," Martin said.

In the past month there has been 28.8mm of rain in Whangārei and 48mm in Kerikeri.