A helicopter was needed to put out a fire on a Russell property believed to be owned by former tennis No 1 Thomas Muster, known as "the King of Clay".
The blaze broke out just before noon yesterday at the far end of Long Beach. Due to difficulty accessing the site and threat to a pine plantation the Russell Fire Brigade requested assistance from the air.
A Salt Air helicopter based at Haruru Falls brought the fire under control using a monsoon bucket, leaving firefighters from Rawhiti Rural Fire Force to mop up and guard against flare-ups overnight.
Deputy principal rural fire officer Clint Lyall said embers blown from a contractor's burnoff started the fire.
The blaze spread through grass into the pines but there was no damage to the trees thanks to the damp ground and time of year. In summer it would have been a different story, he said.