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Kelly Hodel / THINGS
Fire crews were called in to fight a large grass fire in Port Waikato.
Firefighters put out a large grass fire in Port Waikato that threatened several properties.
Fire crews were alerted to the blaze around 1.35pm Thursday, and early reports estimated the blaze to be 30m by 50m in size. Three houses were evacuated.
Four fire trucks and a tanker truck, along with 18 firefighters, were called in to fight the blaze, said North Fire Service Fire Communications Shift Manager Kaisey Cook.
Four other fire trucks were called in to help but were later returned, Cook said.
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A member of staff from the Police Media Center said officers helped firefighters evacuate three homes. The fire was located next to Tuakau Bridge-Port Waikato Rd.
A Port Waikato Wharf Store and Post Center staff member, who declined to be named, said the fire appeared to be under control at 3:00 p.m.
“We couldn’t see [the fire] It goes out but there is no more smoke, ”said the woman.
“It was quite big, but they did not take long to remove it.
Northern Fire Service Fire Communications shift manager Craig Dally said the lawn fire was put out at 3.10 p.m.
Meanwhile, firefighters, assisted by two helicopters, put out a large brush fire along Otonga Valley Road, east of Raglan, on Thursday afternoon.
Fire crews were alerted to the blaze at 4.25pm, with reports indicating that the blaze had spread over 2 hectares. The fire was brought under control at 6 pm.
The Port Waikato and Raglan fires follow a large bush fire near Tairua in Coromandel two weeks ago. At its height, the Pumpkin Hill Rd fire had a perimeter of 2.5 kilometers and forced some residents to evacuate their homes.
And a possible lightning strike may have caused a bush fire in the Awaiti swamp near Paeroa on Sunday. That fire broke out at the same time as a thunder and lightning storm passed through the area.
