Large piles of tinder-dry pine slash in an area by a popular and important forest area in Ōtaki Beach poses a fire risk, a concerned resident fears.
Nicky Treadwell, who lives in Rangiuru Rd, said lots of pine trees were cut down in a privately owned area next to a popular public area.
The cutting happened before Christmas but piles of branches, known as slash, hadn't been removed.
Treadwell said she was very concerned "to the point of being fearful that a fire may start in the pine slash and set the forest, to which my house is adjacent, on fire".
Worried about a fire risk, especially with a hot summer and autumn, she contacted Fire and Emergency New Zealand (FENZ) through its 0800 hazard advice line.