A car on fire on SH29, lower Kaimāī, reported at about 3.45pm on Saturday.
What started as a car fire on State Highway 29 in the lower Kaimāī area on Saturday afternoon quickly spread into the surrounding bush, a Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said.
Shift manager Mark Richards said a fire was reported at 3.37pm.
“It started as a car fire. The fire then caught on vegetation on the side of the road and spread into the surrounding bush.
“We had four brigades at the scene.”
Brigades from the Matamata, Tīrau, Greerton and Te Aroha stations attended.
“Police assisted Fire and Emergency with traffic control at a car fire on SH29A, lower Kaimai, reported around 3.45pm,” police said.
NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) closed SH29 from Tauranga to Te Poi at 4.12pm due to the large fire.
Motorists were advised to delay their journeys or use an alternative route.
Tauranga east-bound traffic was diverted via SH28, SH5, SH36 then rejoining SH29. West-bound traffic was in reverse.
“Our brigades left the scene at 5.06pm,” Richards said.
NZTA reopened SH29 at 5.49pm after the road was cleared.
“Extra care is advised on this route,” said an NZTA spokesperson.
Rising temperatures and dry conditions in the Bay of Plenty have led to more than 69 vegetation fires in November, resulting in the implementation of a restricted fire season.
“There hasn’t been significant rain over the winter, so the vegetation has dried,” Fire and Emergency Bay of Plenty district manager Jeff Maunder said.
Temperatures spiked in early December, and Maunder worried the winds would dry things out further.
“We’ve got over 500,000 hectares of commercial forestry conservation land, surrounded by farms, grasses and scrub that could be at risk.”
For 12 years Cooney Lees Morgan has been running a food collection for the foodbank.