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.

Already stretched firefighters have been battling a second blaze in Marlborough today - but the smaller forest fire has been brought under control.

Firefighters are continuing to fight a major blaze in Marlborough as hot weather and strong winds add to their concerns.

Firefighters battling a large blaze in Marlborough are trying to make the most of a calm period before high winds whip through the area.

An investigation will begin shortly, after firefighters were called to a suburban building fire at 4am today.

Five of the 24 houses in the Waikakaho Valley have been evacuated by Police.

Initially it was thought a child was unaccounted for, but it was later confirmed all the kids from the house were safe.

Firefighters were called out to a rubbish fire in Papakura this afternoon at a site used by the Presbyterian Church.

Crews from three fire trucks are battling the blaze.

A teenage girl suffered burns in a fire in Taihape this evening.

No one was injured in the fire.

A suspected firebug built up piles of kindling across an urban park before lighting two blazes this morning, a firefighter says.

Fire crews at a Taupo plastics factory have now left the scene after a major blaze tore through the building.

Twelve months on from her son's horrific death and Sharon Otto still can't bear to go to the Hamilton house where he died.

A major fire burnt down a holiday home and left the house next-door damaged in Hahei early this morning.

Taieri College in Dunedin will open today, and school examinations will not be affected by the fire in the roof of the school hall.

A Waikato woman has been airlifted to hospital with burns after a fire in the garage of her home early today.

Auckland fire services were called to a fire on a cliff that required an airport crash fire vessel to extinguish. Fire services from Titirangi and Laingholm were called to Opou Point near French Bay Titirangi about 9pm as a vegetation fire blazed on the cliff face last night. An area of 5000 square metres was on fire. Northern fire communications shift manager Jaron Phillips said a airport crash fire vessel was met by fire services at French Bay.

Auckland fire services were called to a fire on a cliff that required an airport crash fire vessel to extinguish.

Nine firefighting crews are attending a fire at Taieri College in Mosgiel.

A helicopter is joining in the efforts to put out a major fire near Sulphur Point in Rotorua.

Hundreds of people were evacuated from office towers after a fire sparked by workmen on a roof sent thick smoke billowing through the capital.

One person was taken to hospital and treated for smoke inhalation after a house fire in Central Otago last night.