A teenager told police she knew a mother-of-three was at home when she started a fire that blocked the woman's chance to escape and left her to die.

A tearful teenage girl who deliberately lit a fire which killed Pukekohe mum Lynette Chapman today changed her plea on a murder charge to guilty.

A 17-year-old girl has pleaded guilty to murdering Pukekohe mother of three Lynette Chapman, who died in a fire in her home in January.

A 19-year-old has been sentenced to two years jail for the manslaughter of a mother of three who was burned to death in her south Auckland home.

Fire crews are continuing to put out hot spots after a forest blaze forced the evacuation of more than 30 people.

At least 60 firefighters were needed to quell a blaze understood to be the largest in Hamilton since a fatal coolstore explosion two years ago.

Sixty firefighters were this afternoon battling a blaze at a fibreglass boat builders in Hamilton.

A forest fire which closed State Highway 1 north of Auckland for five hours yesterday is being treated as suspicious.

Firefighters are praying for rain to help them fully extinguish the huge fire near Dunedin. The cost to fight the blaze is now over $500,000.

A major fire near Dunedin is continuing its destructive path through a large forestry plantation.

A massive fire northwest of Dunedin has so far razed 400 hectares of forest land and is so big in places firefighters can not get near it.

Environment Minister Peter Garrett yesterday continued to fight for his political life.

A 14-year-old youth will appear in court charged with arson after a huge fire north of Wellington forced over a hundred people to evacuate their homes.