Port Waikato homes evacuated as emergency services battle to contain grass fire

Homes have been evacuated after the fire broke out. Photo / Myles McInnes

Police are evacuating homes in Port Waikato as emergency services fight to contain a grass fire.

The fire is located along Tuakau Bridge-Port Waikato Rd in the Waikato west coast near the border of the Auckland region.

Police were advised shortly before 2pm of the fire and say they are "on the scene and assisting with the evacuation of a small number of houses in the area".

The fire is located in Cobourne Reserve on the bank of the Waikato River near the Port Waikato town centre.

Holidaymaker at Port Waikato Myles McInnes said there were about five fire trucks in attendance trying to extinguish the "smouldering" grass fire.

"It was spread out over about 500 metres on the opposite side of the road to the properties," Myles McInnes said.

"It's just on the foreshore and there's a creek that actually goes through it so the fire brigade was kind of using that to pump water out and manage the fire. It's just sort of hotspots now."

Firefighters dampen down a grass fire at Port Waikato today. Photo / Myles McInnes

McInnes said the fire was on a piece of land directly adjacent to five or six houses.

Locals driving past have also been assisting firefighters in containing the blaze.

"We sort of drove through and we could smell smoke and about half an hour later the fire brigade were there. It was all on, it didn't take long," McInnes said.

"It was definitely contained when we left they were just damping down the hotspots, and just kicking over trees and blasting that out with water. If it goes on the other side of the road and gets up into the hills ... we're very nervous here."

Port Waikato is on the south bank of the Waikato River and is a popular holiday spot.