Parihaka Burns

A serial arsonist may be behind a fire that destroyed bush on Mt Parihaka yesterday and forced residents to evacuate.
Three houses in Memorial Dr were evacuated as strong winds fanned the blaze near the top of Mt Parihaka. Police view the blaze as suspicious and say it could be linked to other fires in the area.
One resident described seeing flames leap in the air ``like a big red sheet flapping in the wind''.
The fire started about 3.20pm in pine, gorse, and scrub in hilly country about 50m from the western side of Memorial Dr and about 500m from houses.
About 40 firefighters from eight fire trucks, helped by three helicopters with monsoon buckets filled from Hatea River and a nearby dam, managed to keep the blaze contained. At about 4.30pm Principal Rural Fire Officer Kevin Ihaka said the fire was under control. But soon after wind caused a flare-up, prompting more evacuations.
The fire was bought back under control and fire crews left at about 10.15pm.
However, members of a forest protection crew were keeping watch over the area this morning in case the fire flared up again.
Whangarei police Detective Shane Mawston said the fire was ``definitely suspicious'' and possibly linked to other recent blazes. ``There have been four-five up here and ones at the quarry gardens.''
Yesterday's fire was particularly dangerous because of the houses nearby. ``It's obviously in everybody's best interests that we catch this person before he/she causes more damage,'' he said.
An arsonist is suspected in at least a dozen fires in reserves around Whangarei in the past 12 months, including three at the Quarry Gardens, in Russell Rd. A psychological profiler says the suspect is likely to be local, male, aged over 15 and was probably among the crowds watching the fires to feel the ``power and glory'' of the aftermath.
Auckland University director of clinical psychology Ian Lambie said almost 90 percent of arsonists were male adolescents, or men aged from their 20s to 40s.
Dargaville and Te Kopuru firefighters yesterday fought a blaze that burned about 7ha of tussocky land at Glinks Gully, near Te Kopuru. The fire was bought under control but flared up again at about 5.23am this morning and began spreading into new territory. Fire crews were working to bring the fire under control at edition time.