People are being evacuated from homes threatened by a scrub fire near Te Puna in Western Bay of Plenty.
A 4.46pm Fire and Emergency New Zealand statement said crews were responding to a vegetation fire on Snodgrass Rd, north of Tauranga.
Evacuations were under way, and a number of properties were under threat from the blaze.
People were advised to avoid the area to allow Fire and Emergency crews to fight the fire.
People in homes affected by smoke from the fire were advised to keep their windows and doors closed and turn off any air conditioning units.
Police were assisting Fenz with the fire.
The fire was reported around 3.20pm.
Police advised the community to avoid the immediate area as emergency services respond.
Snodgrass Rd is blocked, and further road closures are being considered.
A caller to SunLive said smoke could be seen across the Te Puna area.
“I was coming up the hill towards the Minden Lookout, and there is a massive lot of smoke right across the Minden,” said a Sunlive reader.
“It must be a massive fire.”
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