A bushfire on the roadside of State Highway 1 south of Taupō has been brought under control with help from helicopters.
The highway has now re-opened north of the village of Waitahanui between Rotongaio and Otene roads, about 15km south of Taupō .
Police said they were helping Fire and Emergency with a cordon at the roadside fire.
A Fire and Emergency spokesperson said emergency services were alerted at about 1.15pm.
Fire crews arrived at the scene to find the fire had already covered one hectare and was spreading quickly.
Ten fire appliances and support vehicles are still at the scene, while firefighters dampen down the hotspots.
UPDATE 4:20PM
— NZTA Waikato/BoP (@NZTAWaiBoP) November 27, 2019
SH1 Taupo-Turangi at Waitahanui is now OPEN. Thank you for your patience.^TH https://t.co/tpz6rax62U
SH1 TAUPO TO TURANGI, WAITAHANUI - BUSH FIRE - 2:40PM
— NZTA Waikato/BoP (@NZTAWaiBoP) November 27, 2019
Due to a bush fire, SH1 is CLOSED through Waitahanui between Rotongaio Rd and Otene Rd. Follow the direction of emergency services on scene. Please consider delaying your journey and expect delays. ^AA pic.twitter.com/WMUTv2hP3f
SH1 TAUPO TO TURANGI, WAITAHANUI - BUSH FIRE - 2:10PM
— NZTA Waikato/BoP (@NZTAWaiBoP) November 27, 2019
Due to a bush fire, SH1 will be closed shortly through Waitahanui between Rotongaio Rd and Otene Rd. Please consider delaying your journey and expect delays.^TH pic.twitter.com/unZZGaRQqD
