New Year's Eve was a busy night for firefighters after a number of fires burned around New Zealand, mostly caused by fireworks and bonfires.
Fire and Emergency said in a statement they fielded 111 calls about multiple incidents across both the North and South Islands with around 15 incidents being attended to simultaneously.
Firefighters are still fighting fires in Tasman, Otago and Auckland.
Two homes have been evacuated in Marahau in the Tasman District and firefighters are working to protect the houses from a vegetation fire reported to be in difficult terrain.
A fire is burning on a cliff face in Aramoana near Dunedin. The fire is reported to be about the size of a football field, and growing. Five crews were still at the scene at 2.30am and a team is working to get access from the top of the cliff so they can assess the situation.
A large blaze at Dalefield near Arrowtown, reported to have been started by fireworks and involving three separate fires burning in tussock on steep terrain. By 2.30am the fire had been contained to an estimated 1.2ha and firefighters were working to reinforce the perimeter
The most serious fire in the North Island was started by fireworks at Mahurangi East, where six crews have been working since 11pm to keep the blaze from reaching homes.
Other incidents include:
A large blaze at Puhoi where eight crews were still working at 1.30am. Most of the firefighters had to reach the firefront on foot because the fire trucks could not drive to the site
Two crews extinguished a vegetation fire in Oriental Bay, Wellington, which was briefly escalated to second alarm level before being scaled back
In Tauranga, three crews were called to deal with a fire in the roof of a house, reportedly ignited by fireworks
A fire on the roof of the civic administration building in Palmerston North and another where seats in Edwards Pit park were ablaze, both reportedly caused by fireworks
Fire close to a house in Kelston reportedly caused by fireworks
Grass fire in New Plymouth reportedly caused by fireworks
Fire in the sand dunes at Waitarere Beach, Horowhenua
Communications Centre Shift Manager Murray Dunbar said the number and scale of incidents overnight reinforced that fireworks posed a high fire risk and had to be used responsibly and sensibly.
"Fire and Emergency has been saying this for a long time. People using fireworks have to look at the conditions - things like wind and the proximity to material that can catch fire easily. If the conditions aren’t right, then don’t light."
