Emergency Services

Fire crews are confident about today's weather conditions as they continue to tackle the major blaze at Kaimaumau, in the Far North.

Firefighters will be closely monitoring forecast northerly winds as they try to shore up containment lines around the Kaimaumau fire in Northland.

Emergency services are currently at the scene of an incident at a dirt bike park in Glen Murray, Waikato.

Extra firefighters will be at the site of the Northland blaze near Kaimaumau today as easterly winds continue.

All residents and visitors evacuated from Kaimaumau as a precaution this afternoon due to a scrub fire have now returned home.

A hot air balloon's pilot was thrown from the basket during a rough landing near Ashburton, got caught in a rope and was dragged along the ground before the balloon came to rest.

Road deaths are disproportionately high despite pandemic lockdowns, the AA says, with 319 people killed in crashes in 2021.

A teenager has died after being hit by a vehicle north of Auckland, and a person died following a crash in New Plymouth.

The Kaimaumau blaze in Northland, which has burned for nearly two weeks, is now 65 percent contained.

A fire in a meat-processing plant in the southern Taranaki town of Okaiawa is going to have a big impact on the district.

A restricted fire season will come into effect in parts of Otago from this evening.

Northland Fire and Emergency says containment lines in a large scrub fire in the Far North held overnight and no houses have been damaged. Audio

Firefighters say there's no guarantee they can save homes in the Far North's Kaimaumau village, as the uncontained blaze is within 200m of properties.

Thirty families in a Far North township will spend the day evacuated as fire and emergency attempt to hold off a 2000-hectare scrub fire. Audio