A huge ball of flame could be seen over a Carterton farm after a quad bike sparked a shed blaze on Tuesday night.

A family of two adults and five children escaped their burning house with just the clothes they were wearing.

More harrowing testimony is expected as a coroner's inquest into the deaths of eight CTV building victims continues today.

The police officer left in charge of the Christchurch earthquake's biggest disaster zone said he became "frustrated" at being ordered off the site as he tried to rescue survivors.

Police today admitted the February 22 earthquake disaster in Christchurch "overwhelmed" their communication system.

The hearing into the fatal fire at Doha's Villaggio mall which killed 19 people including three Kiwi triplets has been postponed for a third time.

A Papamoa man who was caught in a massive chip-heater hot-water tank explosion has emerged from a coma and is "doing really well" says his wife.

A fire that seriously damaged a police car at a Hamilton Station overnight is being treated as suspicious.

Fire chiefs failed to cope with the February 22 earthquake response, according to a scathing report out today which criticised them for being disorganised.

The Wanaka farmer whose authorised burn-off sparked a massive fire which burned over 350ha says neighbouring property owners are "ecstatic" with the outcome.

About 40 firefighters have managed to contain a large bush fire beneath the summit of Roy's Peak, Wanaka.