A summer boating holiday ended yesterday in a cloud of black smoke and two burned-out shells on the side of the road.

Much of an Auckland primary school was in ruins last night after an intense blaze which created a vast plume of smoke visible from many parts of the city.

The alleged attempted arson of a campervan may have been an "extreme reaction" to freedom camping...

One of NZ's oldest department stores escaped extensive damage when a sprinkler system activated and put out a fire which could have destroyed the building.

Ten fire appliances attended the blaze at the Smith and Caughey building on Auckland's Queen Street.

Thick smoke from a fire in one of Auckland's biggest department stores poured out on to Queen St late last night, shutting major city streets.

Firefighters have contained a large scrub fire in Masterton which was burning on about six hectares of land.

Police are investigating how a yacht caught fire, burned through a line and caused damage to two other yachts nearby.

A remote-controlled toy plane given to a teenager for Christmas nearly claimed his family's lives after it set their house on fire.

Firefighters are inspecting the site of a blaze in Canterbury that burnt nearly 60 hectares of trees and pasture.

Police and the Fire Service are investigating a fire which gutted a high school gymnasium in the Wellington suburb of Rongotai this morning.

Firefighters in Canterbury are preparing to spend their Christmas Day battling a blaze that has so far burnt nearly 60 hectares of trees and pasture.

Canterbury firefighters continue to battle two major fires in the region, but both blazes are under control.

A massive blaze has engulfed the hills above Waimate in south Canterbury and tonight continues to burn.

Stretched Canterbury firefighters are battling two large scrub fires, one in Rolleston and one in Waimate.