Fire safety officers are disturbed by what appears to be a growing trend in toddlers starting fires by playing with matches and lighters.

Fire crews battling a scrub fire have evacuated residents at Mangatoetoe.

An 11-year-old boy received serious burns after petrol from a lawnmower exploded in the sleepout where he and a teenager were sleeping.

A clean-up began yesterday at a primary school left in ruins after a fire swept through a third of its buildings on Friday.

A blaze which "totalled" a block at Auckland's Glendowie Primary School is being investigated as an arson.

A summer boating holiday ended yesterday in a cloud of black smoke and two burned-out shells on the side of the road.

Much of an Auckland primary school was in ruins last night after an intense blaze which created a vast plume of smoke visible from many parts of the city.

One of NZ's oldest department stores escaped extensive damage when a sprinkler system activated and put out a fire which could have destroyed the building.

Ten fire appliances attended the blaze at the Smith and Caughey building on Auckland's Queen Street.

Thick smoke from a fire in one of Auckland's biggest department stores poured out on to Queen St late last night, shutting major city streets.

Firefighters have contained a large scrub fire in Masterton which was burning on about six hectares of land.

Police are investigating how a yacht caught fire, burned through a line and caused damage to two other yachts nearby.