Two people have been seriously burnt in several explosions and a fire at a rural property near Whangarei.

The gas bottle explosion that rocked central Invercargill yesterday, seriously injuring the man transporting it in his ute, is extremely rare and will take some investigating to find out why it blew up, fire experts say.

The death of a person in the south Auckland suburb of Flat Bush yesterday is not suspicious, police say.

The death of a person in south Auckland yesterday is being investigated by police.

A boat which caught fire off Waiheke Island this morning has been towed back to Auckland.

Investigators are picking through shards of glass and twisted metal to work out why a gas bottle exploded in Invercargill today, injuring two people

A male has died in a suspicious fire at a Northern Canterbury sleepout today, police say.

Fire crews in Gisborne are working to put out a blaze in an apartment building.

A boy who saved six family members in a house fire tragically died while trying to save a seventh person.

South Island fire crews were kept busy overnight responding to two suspicious blazes, one at an art deco museum.

Firefighters are dampening down hot spots after a block of shops caught fire in Invercargill this morning.

An "irreplaceable" private collection of work by some of New Zealand's finest contemporary artists has been destroyed in a fire at a house near New Plymouth.

A large amount of asbestos has been discovered in an abandoned school which caught fire yesterday but the Fire Service says nearby residents are in no danger.

Fifteen fire engines are battling a large blaze which has engulfed an abandoned school hall in Petone this evening.

The menacing red sky turned blue as the wind change came and Halls Gap dodged a bullet.

The searing heatwave that has engulfed southeastern Australia since the start of the week has at least two days to run.

A large scrub fire which took hold in a Gisborne park last night is under control, the Fire Service says.

"Householders are leaving things to the last minute, do not have a plan, not know what to do." Firefighters are frustrated with West Australian homeowners.

Two early morning fires deliberately lit at an Auckland school and church may have been started by the same people, police say.

Fire fighters are battling a large blaze in Titirangi park in Gisborne which has come within 20 metres of some houses.

One child remains in hospital after two young children were pulled from a burning car in a Palmerston North supermarket carpark today.

A fire lit in the early hours of this morning has damaged part of Auckland's St Mary's church.

Health and high fire danger alerts are coming into force as the heatwave that scorched Perth and ignited huge fires close to the city moves up the east coast.