A grass fire that caused smoke to billow from the top of Auckland’s Mount Wellington this afternoon has now been contained.
Fire and Emergency NZ said they received reports of a fire atop Mount Wellington at about 12.39pm.
“It is 60 square metres and was spreading upwards atop the hill,” a spokesperson said.
Six fire trucks and one helicopter were working to extinguish the fire at the peak of the blaze, they added.
Almost half a hectare has been damaged by the fire and crews were dampening the area to prevent further damage.
Tūpuna Maunga Authority chairperson Paul Majurey said he was “deeply disappointed” with yet another fire on Auckland’s maunga.
“These fires cause significant harm to these iconic taonga and pose a real risk to people and property, as well as a needless strain on fire and emergency services.”
Maungarei/Mount Wellington is a 135m peak. It’s part of the Auckland Volcanic Field.
