KEY POINTS:
People evacuated after a large scrub took hold near Wairoa may be able to return to their homes today, officials say.
The fire, which had been burning since Sunday, was contained last night after a hundred firefighters and three helicopters battled the blaze yesterday.
More than 140ha of forest and scrub burned in the fire, along with a number of buildings near Mahia Beach, and dozens of residents had been evacuated.
Firefighters worked overnight dampening down hot spots to ensure the flames did not spark up again.
Residents said the small community had been pulled together by the incident.
"We're very lucky, we're blessed. It's sad but it brought a lot of feeling out of people, made everyone feel for each other," one resident said.
Another resident told Radio New Zealand she was grateful the fire had skirted past a church in the community.
"The first place we went to was the urupa, because my mum's buried up there, and all my aunties and grandmothers and grandfathers ... I was glad to see that none of that was touched by the fire."
The chief rural fire officer was set to tell the evacuated residents at 9am when it would be safe to return home.
Inspectors would be working today to establish the cause of the fire.
- NZPA
