Fire

Meanwhile, an advocate for residents who survived the blaze hopes the charges bring some closure for the survivors.

One of two heavy aerial firetrucks needed at a central skyscraper fire was stalled at a road closure en route from Hamilton.

A house fire in a vacant Wairoa home is not thought to be connected to ongoing gang unrest in the area, but is being investigated, police say.

Firefighters were left stranded high above a huge blaze at a recycling plant when their aerial firefighting truck broke down, a union says.

Fire crews have been battling a house fire in Paraparaumu, on the Kāpiti Coast, north of Wellington.

Two men have been arrested for illegal gun possession near a suspected arson at a Huntly business, and police are appealing for witnesses.

Fire and Emergency is investigating a fire that took hold at a commercial building in Hamilton overnight, close to where another blaze was put out last week.

Firefighters are focusing on dampening hot spots at a fire on the Māhia Peninsula that came dangerously close to houses.

"I helped pull the hoses out in my sandals," says a neighbour who saw black smoke spewing out of the garage next door.

A funeral home was set on fire at 10am on Saturday morning and four churches set a light overnight - two other churches were targeted.

Flames 10 metres high loomed above the Roxburgh town hall as firefighters sprayed water into it. The building is home to what is thought to be one of the world's oldest operating cinemas.

Drones with thermal imaging equipment will survey the Black Jack fireground on the Coromandel Peninsula to identify where pockets of fire are still burning.

The death toll from massive wildfires ravaging Los Angeles has risen to 24, with officials warning of incoming dangerous winds that could whip the blazes up further.

A helicopter has been sent to an emergency at Hahei Beach, while not far to the north, firefighters are trying to combat a scrub fire that has sent smoke over Coromandel beaches and forced the closure…

Fire investigators have established exactly where a serious wildfire started near Whangārei - now they are working on how it got started.

Seven young people have been arrested after a night of disorder in Raglan, police say.

With many parts of New Zealand warm and very dry, fires can take hold and spread quickly, fire fighters say.

A fire at a funeral home in Greymouth has been put out.

Firefighters in West Auckland have been battling a blaze in a Glen Eden home.