Fire crews have managed to extinguish a small bush fire along Te Hapua Rd which was started when a crashed car caught fire.
Two helicopters were sent north but then stood down as fire crews got the 20m by 30m bush fire under control. The fire, which started around 3pm Sunday, spread to bush surrounding the winding gravel road after a car crashed and caught fire. The driver is believed to have minor injuries and was being treated by medical staff.
Two fire crews from Houhora were at the scene just after 4pm, making sure it did not reignite.
Given the extremely dry conditions and abundance of bush, the fire's damage could have been substantial had it got out of control, potentially threatening the Te Hapua settlement, the northernmost settlement in the country.
