An arrest has been made after a fire at a Christchurch squatters' pad in the early hours of this morning.

A Westport house was destroyed in an early morning blaze on Saturday after the Christmas tree lights caught fire, engulfing the ceiling.

Firefighters are at the scene of a massive blaze in an abandoned two-storey house in central Christchurch.

An out-of-control fire was last night raging towards residents in Victoria's northeast who have been warned it's too late to leave their homes.

One person is being treated for smoke inhalation at the scene of a house while a vegetation fire in Kumeu is being treated as suspicious.

Firefighters responded to an alarm activated at Mt Eden school earlier this evening.

Smoke billowing over city as bush fire rages on city's North Shore.

A major blaze which came within metres of destroying a home, forced the evacuation of at least a dozen Northland properties, and closed a state highway for several hours.

A scrub fire has closed a state highway in Northland.

Around 1200ha of pine forest and grassland have been destroyed in a forest fire that continues to burn out of control in Marlborough.

The cause of last night's inferno at an office tower remains unknown - and more than 100 fire fighters and 23 appliances were required to fight the blaze.

Residents living in Waihopai Valley, where a forest fire is raging, have been warned; if there is a change in weather they may have to evacuate their homes.

Firefighters are still at the scene of a dramatic high-rise blaze which ripped a "massive hole" in the side of an office tower in Takapuna.

A man is lucky to be alive thanks to his neighbour thumping on the door of his smoke-filled house after he fell asleep cooking.

One child suffered burns in the face and the other in the stomach in the fire in Auckland.

Trees are in flames in Brighton, near Dunedin, after a controlled burn spread. Source: ODT

Counties Manukau fire safety officers are investigating the blaze of a large house near Mangatawhiri this morning.

Emergency services are working to extinguish a blaze in an industrial building in the Auckland suburb of Ellerslie.

The man who died after a fire destroyed a hunters hut in Southland has been named by Police.

A man is believed to be dead after a fire destroyed a remote hunters hut in Southland.

Two people have been injured after a fire broke out at a meat processing plant in Te Aroha.

A smouldering bonfire proved costly for a homeowner after it ignited a land-based 15m trimaran, trees and neighbouring sheds in a backyard in Martinborough, South Wairarapa, this morning. Up to five appliances and two hazmat units from Featherston, Martinborough, Greytown and Rimutaka in Upper Hutt descended on the French St cul-de-sac shortly before 9am to find the boat, sheds and trees well alight and the house under threat. Supplied/Andrew Bonallack

Four fire appliances are battling the blaze at Stonefields, between Remuera and Mt Wellington.

Police said his mother rescued him just in time, seconds from more serious injury.

A large Christchurch fire is being brought under control with those families evacuated as a precaution now back in their homes.

A change in the weather has given firefighters battling a blaze in rural Marlborough a slight reprieve today.

A blaze that ripped through a holiday home in Turangi overnight is being treated as suspicious.

A man was hospitalised after being rescued from a house fire in Whanganui.

The Prime Minister says he has spoken to his son after it emerged Max Key was among hundreds of Kiwis evacuated from a Fijian resort.

Firefighters are still battling a forest fire that has engulfed a valley in rural Marlborough.