Emergency Services

State Highway 35 was blocked and motorists were advised to find alternative routes.

A crash between a minivan and a car has seen 12 people taken to a number of hospitals in the North Island.

Trouble getting a chopper to help a girl trapped on a cliff face was not an isolated incident, the firefighters union says. Audio

Items of climbing equipment were found within a known icefall hazard zone on the upper Linda Glacier.

Emergency services were called to the crash site near Flemington south of Waipukurau last night.

Police, paramedics and volunteers are concerned about the number of unsupervised young people who arrive with alcohol.

The legal action is the latest twist in ongoing collective agreement negotiations.

Northland's top firefighter said the region's unusual weather conditions could be heightened by a front travelling up the country on Wednesday.

Fire crews worked on the building from aerial trucks because the fire fuelled by polystyrene made it too dangerous to enter.

The fire, located between Waitōtara township and Waiinu Beach settlement, started on Monday afternoon and is yet to be contained.

Fire and Emergency said crews were called to the site and the reported fire was a false alarm

There were early concerns somebody was still inside the home but everyone was since accounted for.

Firefighters were called the school in Auckland's Parnell along with an ambulance.

The fire was reported shortly after 2pm.

FENZ says the fire is "still active on many parts" of the ground in the area.

This means anyone wanting to light an outdoor fire will have to apply for a permit authorised by Fire and Emergency.

The blaze was initially across an area of about 200 square metres, but was fanned by high winds.

Several helicopters and firefighter crews were called to a fire in the Whanganui district.