Fire crews remain in Mahia to stop YMCA campsite scrub fire reigniting

Firefighters from across Hawke's Bay helped tackle a large scrub fire in Mahia on Wednesday afternoon. Photo / Eastern District Police

Fire crews from across Hawke's Bay continued to monitor on Thursday afternoon a large fire that ripped through pines and scrub near a campsite.

Emergency services were called to the grass fire near the old YMCA campground Opoutama on Ormond Drive, Mahia, about 3.40pm on Wednesday.

The fire, which spread to 8ha, initially put houses in danger.

Two properties were evacuated as a precaution on Wednesday afternoon, according to a Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokeswoman. Nobody was injured and there was no known cause, the spokeswoman said.

A total of 12 fire trucks, tankers and specialist vehicles from crews from Napier, Hastings, Mahia, Nuhaka, Wairoa, Hastings, Bayview and Putorino attended the blaze.

Two helicopters also attended the fire on Wednesday.

A witness, who drove through the area at 3.45pm on Wednesday, said the flames were at that time visible from the road.

"The smoke was thick and the flames were quite high in the trees adjoining the old YMCA camp at that stage," she said.

"There were already two appliances attending the fire by that point.

"The camp is no longer used, but it was scary as there are a lot of very dry wild pines so could have very easily spread towards the residential properties that back onto the camp."

The Fire and Emergency spokeswoman said while they had a continued presence at the site, the fire was under control.