Large scrub fire in Tahorakuri Forest near Taupō controlled after three helicopters help battle blaze

A large scrub fire in the Tahorakuri Forest area between Rotorua and Taupō which required the assistance of three helicopters has been controlled.

The vegetation blaze on Te Toke Rd was reported to fire crews at 12.40pm and grew to approximately four hectares in size by 3.15pm.

A witness earlier told the Rotorua Daily Post the blaze was worrying nearby homeowners.

In an update at 6.35pm, a Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesperson said the fire was no longer spreading and had been 70% contained.

A Bay of Plenty Fire and Emergency New Zealand post on Facebook earlier said 12 crews were in attendance and a third helicopter was about to join the battle.

Fire crews battle a blaze in the Tahorakuri Forest area near Taupō. Photo / Fire and Emergency NZ

A tanker and support vehicles were also being used.

“Te Toke Rd is closed in the area near the fire,” the post said.

A Fire and Emergency spokesman initially told the Rotorua Daily Post multiple calls about the fire had been received.

“Approximately 32 firefighters are in attendance currently working with two helicopters,” he said.

Brigades from Taupō, Lake Taupō and Tokoroa were in attendance and police were assisting with traffic management.

People were asked to avoid the area while fire crews worked. There were no evacuations reported.

Broadlands Rd resident Alix Lattey said she was working from home when the fire began.

“I saw it over the other side of the [Waikato] River and then the plumes of smoke got a lot bigger ... quite quickly."

Unsure if it was a controlled scrub burn, she “took a bit of a drive up the road towards River Rd just to see how close it was to the river”.

Helicopters helped battle a scrub fire in Tahorakuri Forest near Taupō today.

She said she was concerned for her property and others nearby.

“There’s a few homesteads on the other side of the river,” she said.

She had seen reports that it had “just missed a house”.

“I don’t know if it got anybody else’s at this stage,” Lattey said.

She said the plumes of smoke reduced during the afternoon.

“They don’t have the massive plumes of smoke that they did an hour or so ago,” she said about 2.50pm.