Firefighters have managed to stop a large bush fire on Auckland's North Shore from threatening three or four homes.
Fire and Emergency were alerted to a fire in trees and thick bush near Okura River Rd about 2.20pm today.
Colin Underdown, shift manager for Northern communications, said there was no longer a threat to the three or four homes down a long right of way on East Cost Rd that backed onto the area of bush on fire.
He said one of two helicopters fighting the blaze was no longer being used but there is still a big presence of six pumps, six water tankers, two smoke chasers and two rural pumps at work.
Underdown did not know how big the fire was at about 6pm.
Earlier he said the fire is being fuelled by an easterly wind and covers about 5ha.
Residents of the homes alerted Fire and Emergency to the fire.
The 19-year-old was found in a remote area in the hills of Upper Hutt.