A bagpiper will lament the victims of the September 11 attacks in New York at a memorial at Christchurch today.

A fire has severely damaged a unit in Auckland's Mt Eden.

Firebugs struck in Auckland last night, damaging a South Auckland school, four cars and a garage.

Fire has engulfed a Taranaki house this morning.

Bursting out the stairwell door, firefighter Brent Austin proves his fitness as he races to the 51st floor of Auckland's Sky Tower in just over 10 minutes.

Authorities are investigating a raft of suspicious fires in the South Island overnight.

The operator of a Northland geothermal plant has denied Fire Service reports 30,000 litres of gas is leaking after an explosion at the site.

A section of the country's main highway has been shut down due to a gas leak in Hamilton.

When Australia burns, Northland firefighters are often called across the ditch to help douse the fires.

A "brave'' 12-year-old girl who woke to flames in her Christchurch home this morning managed to wake the rest of her family and escape the inferno.

A fire at a childcare centre on Auckland's North Shore early this morning is being treated as suspicious.

Twenty people were killed in avoidable house fires in the past 12 months and in most cases, there was no working smoke alarm, the Fire Service says.

A former deputy chief fire officer with 28 years experience has backed up claims of a "culture of bullying'' at Feilding Volunteer Fire Brigade made by a young female volunteer.

A young volunteer firefighter and calendar pin-up girl says a "culture of bullying" left her no choice but to resign from the service.

A Welcome Bay resident who lit a non-permitted fire on his property which quickly got out of control at the weekend could be prosecuted or have to pay the bill for putting the fire out.

Fires raged up and down the country yesterday stretching emergency services to "maximum capacity".

People suffering from heart attacks are ringing 111 to ask for help from firefighters instead of an ambulance because the response is quicker in some rural parts of New Zealand.