Firefighters are scrambling to control a scrub fire in Coromandel that has spread over 18 hectares.
There are two helicopters and seven fire engines on the scene of the fire in Kūaotunu in the Coromandel, a spokeswoman for Fire and Emergency NZ said.
The fire was burning through pine slash and regrowth, she said.
A witness told the Herald he could see flames atop the hills between Kūaotunu and Otama Beach. He described “huge smoke” billowing from the fire.
He said motorists were being stopped from driving down Black Jack Rd.
A holidaymaker in the area could see the flames and smoke while he was out on the water.
“It’s like a volcano,” Connor Le Vert told the Herald.
Le Vert described the smoke as being a yellow colour, and said he could see bright red flames on the top of the hill.
“We can see smoke coming out. There’s a tonne of smoke coming off,” Le Vert said.
“We could see flames, bright red flames at the top of the hill.“We saw firefighters climbing up the hill.”
'You would not want a 5-year-old playing with this.'