Firefighters dampen hotspots after Gisborne blaze

Firefighters are still dampening down hotspots after a major scrub fire last night forced the evacuation of several Gisborne properties.

The blaze off Awapuni Street in central Gisborne was reported about 6pm after nearly two hectares of scrub went up in flames.

Residents from about 100 houses, up to two blocks from the scene, were evacuated from their houses.

It took firefighters using 10 appliances and three helicopters two hours to contain the flames.

Crews were still at the scene this morning dampening down hotspots and were expected to be there for quite some time, central fire communications shift manager Andrew Tollison said.

"We've got a digger in there turning soil over and dampening it down now," he said.

The cause of the blaze was not yet known and fire safety were investigating today.

The fire spread quickly in dry, windy conditions but no buildings and homes were damaged.

Residents were able to return to their homes later last night.

- NZPA