Highway re-opened after fuel tanker blaze

The remains of the truck and trailer smoulders in a rest area after it caught fire on State Highway 27 south of Mangatarata. Picture / Greg Bowker

UPDATE - Traffic is flowing freely again on State Highway 27 at Kaihere in the Hauraki District following a tanker truck fire this morning.

Inspector Scott Webb of the police northern communications centre said a large B-train tanker carrying aviation fuel caught fire just after 3.15am at the top of Kaihere hill.

It was unclear how the fire started but one tank on the truck exploded, Mr Webb said. The truck driver was uninjured.

The truck was carrying 30,000 litres of aviation fuel.

- NZPA