Police cars at the scene. Photo / Andrew Warner
Two helicopters with monsoon buckets are now at the scene of a large scrub fire in Tauranga, battling to put it out.
The second helicopter and monsoon bucket arrived at around 5.50pm, a Fire and Emergency NZ spokeswoman said.
She said while the fire is now under control, she was unable to say when it would be completely out.
Earlier:
Residents are hosing down their properties as the fire creeps closer to their homes in Windermere Drive.
Close to 40 firefighters are at the scene after being alerted to the fire at 1.40pm. By about 3pm, a helicopter with a monsoon bucket arrived. The fire has grown to 1sq km in size.
Resident Cynthia Ngawaka said all the neighbours had come out of their houses smelling smoke before noticing the fire, which had since spread significantly.
"When we got back home the smoke was real thick. It's quite a sight to behold, when you have a line of flames like that. It's like that licking type of flame too. It's burning the mangroves.
"Even as I'm speaking, it's moving. They [firefighters] can't chase it in time."
Ngawaka said other residents could be seen hosing down their properties.
"They are hosing down their front yards and stuff because if the wind changes it could just go that way.
"We can't dramatise it because of what's happening in Australia but it's scary."
A Windermere Drive resident, who would only be known as Brendan, said the fire was burning and moving behind several houses.
"My flatmate went outside to hang his washing out and smelled a bit of smoke. We wandered down the street and there were all these fire engines.
"We are on the other side of the road but it seems to be burning... it looks like it's slowly moving down behind the houses," he said.
He said the seemed to be moving with the wind and he could see five fire engines were on scene.
A Fire and Emergency NZ spokesman said eight fire appliances and about 40 firefighters were battling the large scrub blaze.
The spokesman said the fire measured about 1sq km.
"It is significant."
A police spokeswoman said one house appeared to be at risk and a number of road closures were being put in place across the area.
More soon.
The Transport Agency says traffic moves more 'steadily' with fewer lanes.