Tractor's mower blade sparks blaze

Firefighters dampen down a grass fire which forced the evacuation of the home in the background. Photo / Peter de Graaf

A tractor's mower blade hitting a stone is thought to have sparked a fire which forced the evacuation of a Far North home.

The blaze, at a property on Wainui Rd near the Tauranga Bay turnoff, started about 2pm on Sunday as the property owner was mowing a gully between his home and the road.

The fire spread quickly through about 100sq m of kikuyu, consuming the tractor and part of a roadside fence, and approaching to within 10m of the house.

Police ordered the evacuation of a woman and a dog from the home and considered closing Wainui Rd at the height of the blaze.

Kaeo fire chief Lindsay Murray said a driveway around the house meant the property was not in great danger, but there were concerns the fire could spread into a large area of manuka.

Volunteers firefighters from Kaeo and Kerikeri brigade attended, as did a crew from the newly reinstated Cavalli Rural Fire Party.

The Cavalli brigade, which is based at Matauri Bay, folded some years ago, due to a lack of volunteers, but started up again last week.

It was their first callout.

Principal rural fire officer Myles Taylor the fire was a warning about how dry the Far North was already.

Normally a fire like Sunday's would not occur until much later in the summer.

The fire was an accident so no fine or costs would be imposed.

Also on Sunday, the Kawakawa Fire Brigade was called to a forest entrance off Lovatt Rd at Awarua, south of Kaikohe, where a hunter's ute was deli-berately lit about 11am.

The fire spread into a small area of scrub.

Police are investigating.

A restricted fire season came into force across the Far North on October 22.

Permits are needed for any outdoor rural fire, with the exception of barbecues, hangi and umu, and will need to meet strict conditions. Detailed conditions can be found at www.havingafire.org.nz