Dunking follows rescue from blaze

Firefighters pulled a Kaitaia woman from her burning house and dunked her in a water trough until ambulance staff could arrive to treat her.

The woman, in her 40s, was taken by helicopter to Whangarei Hospital with burns to her arms and legs and a lung injury from smoke inhalation.

She was in the house alone at the time of the fire on Sunday.

Senior Sergeant Gordon Gunn said an accelerant appeared to have been used to start the fire, and police were not looking for anyone else.

Fire crews and a helicopter with a monsoon bucket were called out again in the Far North yesterday and on Sunday when two blazes thought to have been contained flared up in warm dry winds.

Four fire crews, a tanker and other appliances fought flare-ups from a major scrub and vegetation blaze in the Pungaere area, north-west of Kerikeri, that started six days ago and has burned through 80ha.

South of Mangonui yesterday, a helicopter dumped water on flaring hot areas from a 20ha blaze that raged through scrub and bush beside State Highway 10 on Saturday.

Fire authorities believe the Mangonui blaze was probably caused by a cigarette butt thrown from a car.

District principal rural fire officer Lance Johnston said fire conditions in the Far North were now extreme and "absolute vigilance" was necessary by people outdoors in rural areas.

He said heavy rain forecast in the region for today - up to 100mm in some places - would be a big help to firefighters if it eventuated.

A restricted fire season is now in effect throughout the district. All beach fires are banned and permits are needed for any fire in the open.

Meanwhile, police have launched an investigation into a series of fires in the Wellington area on Saturday night.

The first burned an industrial area of Korokoro Hill near State Highway 2.

The second burned a large area of bush on the Lower Hutt side of Wainuiomata Hill, reducing traffic to one lane.

Two smaller fires were reported on Marine Parade on Petone's waterfront and at Taita Cemetery.

A Fire Service spokesman said the matter had been turned over to police as a possible arson investigation.

Police were unavailable to comment late yesterday.