Forest fire suspicious

A few forest fires broke out around Rodney during the holidays.

On New Year's Eve, a fire was lit by a side road of a South Head pine plantation and spread to the forest, Rodney principal rural fire officer Scott Marchant says.

It is being treated as suspicious.

A few days later, another fire was lit about 100 metres down the road.

Fireworks may have started a large tussock fire at Birds Beach in Tapora early on New Year's Day, although the cause has yet to be determined.

A fire in Port Albert early the same morning is being treated as suspicious. Fire crews from Wellsford, Kaiwaka and Warkworth stations attended and police were notified.

On January 5 at 9.30pm, a fire in the Dome Valley pine plantation brought firefighters from Wellsford, Warkworth, Silverdale, Matakana, Mahurangi, Puhoi, Ahuroa, and Kaukapakapa.

Crews worked until early the next morning with a helicopter and monsoon buckets.

Forest protection contractors were later brought in and damped down remaining hot spots.

A ban on all open fires now applies in Rodney, the only exemptions being gas barbecues and gas cookers.

- © Fairfax NZ News