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The YMCA campground can be seen next to the plantation between YMCA Rd and Ormond Drive.
Fire crews withdrew overnight after a large grass fire in Mahia in North Hawke’s Bay that began Wednesday afternoon.
Fire & Emergency Shift Manager Chris Dalton said crews would leave for the night around 9 p.m. but would return in the morning. The scene would likely glow and smoke at night, he said.
Two houses were evacuated but there were no reports of injuries.
Two structures, understood as “temporary cabins”, part of the YMCA camp where the fire was burning, had been destroyed.
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Emergency services were called around 3.40 pm Wednesday to the fire that started on Ormond Drive.
Teams from Mahia, Nuhaka, Napier, Hastings and other surrounding areas attend.
Sally Kidson / Things
Firefighters are fighting a large grass fire in Mahia.
At one point, Dalton said there were seven truck bombs, two tanker trucks and a command vehicle at the scene. Three helicopters had previously been involved, but withdrew when night fell.
The fire had spread to 8 hectares, including a pine plantation in the area.
Dalton said larger fires in relatively isolated areas presented a problem because out-of-district appliances had to cover long distances to support local crews.
“When there’s a big fire like this, it can take a while for your extra help to get to you.”
A police spokeswoman said they were alerted to the fire at 4:20 pm and that they had assisted Firefighters and Emergencies with traffic management.
They were on standby to help evacuate nearby properties if necessary.
The police were withdrawn around 8:30 p.m.
