Photo: Supplied
Fire crews are battling a large vegetation fire in Cape Reinga.
The Cape Reinga lighthouse and a nearby campground have been evacuated, and State Highway 1 is closed north of Te Paki Stream Road.
Fire and Emergency incident controller Rory Renwick said 10 helicopters were helping ground crews. However, conditions for the helicopters were currently difficult, with strong gusty southerlies
"They are preventing the fire from flaring and spreading further to the north and our expectation is that we will be able to continue to hold it, however, if it does get away, it will be hard to stop," Renwick said.
The wind was expected to change direction on Friday so Renwick said ground crews were focused on the southern edge of the fire.
FENZ Northland district manager Wipari Henwood told Checkpoint the area was inaccessible by vehicle and flying crew in was the only option.
The terrain was rugged, steep and with thick scrub, Henwood said.
This afternoon was crunch time for fire crews, he said.
"We've managed to... restrict the spread, so there's still around about 400 hectares that have been burnt.
"We had humidity drop down to 45 percent, combined with those strong winds."
Some areas currently closed to the public may reopen on Thursday, he said.
Fire and Emergency said the fire, which began yesterday, had spread to cover 390 hectares, much of it culturally or environmentally significant.
