A house in West Auckland has been destroyed by fire this afternoon.

A fault in an electronic communications system used by emergency services is putting the lives of frontline workers at immediate risk, a union warns.

The Fire Service has been ordered to pay $3500 in costs to a senior staff member who received an unjustified formal warning for bullying.

Police could only stand back and watch as fire destroyed a 10m yacht south of Auckland yesterday.

While a prediction of sunny weather for the rest of the month will be good news to sunseekers, it's unlikely to be welcomed by those suffering from dry conditions.

Wind has blown down power lines in central Auckland, cutting power to 1300 homes in Newmarket.

The firefighting pilot who escaped a helicopter crash unscathed says he's happy nobody was hurt and doesn't think mechanical failure or pilot error caused the crash.

Firefighters warn it could take days, even weeks, to totally extinguish a massive Marlborough fire that broke out yesterday.

As large-scale scrub fires continue to burn across tinder-dry farmland, the Fire Service says the country has seen a 50 per cent jump in the number of rural fires this year.

Hundreds of firefighters are battling large scrub blazes as dry weather has created tinderbox conditions across the country, the Fire Service says.

A 47-year-old helicopter pilot made a lucky escape after his machine crashed while battling a blaze which was raging out of control in Marlborough today.

A fuel tanker carrying 13,000 litres of diesel has rolled, trapping a driver this morning and causing fuel to leak.

A gas leak in Ponsonby led to the evacuation of many businesses in the area last night.

Police are still unable to determine what caused a house fire that killed three people in November, but say they are committed to finding answers.

As temperatures soar above 30C across parts of the country, so has demand for firefighters as tinder-dry conditions create the perfect environment for forest and scrub fires.

Firefighters remained at the scene of fierce bush fire in West Auckland overnight to ensure there were no further outbreaks.

Fire crews around the South Island were kept busy with three large and a number of small fires overnight.

The firefighter who rescued a kitten trapped in the dashboard of a Tauranga car has been described as the "finest cat whisperer".

Three heroes have been honoured for their bravery after they jumped into a freezing stream to rescue the passengers of a submerged car near Waimate.

The 18-month-old toddler injured when his Mount Wellington home went up in flames on Saturday remains in a critical condition in Middlemore Hospital.

Fire Service bosses are seeking law changes making it compulsory for rental properties to have smoke alarms installed and maintained.

The head of fire investigations in the country says the recent spike in fatal house fires has "no rhyme or reason".

Stocky 45-year-old man was charged with male assaults female and assaulting with intent to injure.

A man police were seeking following a death at a rural West Auckland address last night has been found in Wanganui.

Fireworks may deliver more fizz than bang with most of the country in for wet weather this Guy Fawkes night.

Summer is nearing as clocks move forward an hour over the weekend for daylight saving.