Footage reveals the scale of the destruction caused by a devastating fire which raged through a community south of Whitianga overnight.
Four Coromandel homes and a historic commune have been destroyed by the blaze, which broke out at around 5pm on Tuesday.
While the fire is now contained, still-smouldering rubble is all that remains from some of the buildings.
"We've managed to save more homes than we lost, but I feel very sorry for everyone from that community... there's not much left," principal rural fire officer Paul Shaw says.
It's been an incredibly dry summer and a total fire ban is in place, with the dryness only fuelling the hungry blaze. The power of the fire has left the scrub blackened and barren, ash coating the ground.
"Unfortunately the wind wasn't our friend last night," Mr Shaw says.
"During the monitoring phase in the night the wind picked up and it blew down, and as a consequence, what is behind us here."
Mr Shaw says there was "almost a roar-like thunder" as the fire picked up in the wind gusts.
"When we left it was a very benign fire front... and we weren't that concerned about it," he says.
"The gusts of wind picked up and it was moving from a surface fire... and it just leaped up into the crowns of the trees and there was almost a roar-like thunder as it took off up the hill."
It destroyed everything in its way, Mr Shaw says, including the well-known Wilderland commune.
Evacuations began before the blaze truly intensified while a number of buildings were claimed, and no one was injured.
Mr Shaw says the community has rallied amidst the devastation.
It's not yet known what started the fire and specialists will be investigating.
Newshub.
