Scrub fire closes SH1 north of Auckland

Published: 2:23PM Sunday March 07, 2010

Source: NZPA

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Source: NZPA

A spreading scrubfire has closed State Highway 1 at Dome Valley, about five kilometres north-west of Warkworth.

Firefighters are battling the blaze with four trucks, two tankers and two helicopters.

The fire was first reported to fire communications at 1.30pm, with a size of about 5000 square metres.

Fanned by steady winds, it spread to cover about 64,000 square kilometres in an hour, Fire Service senior communicator Tania Matthews says.

"Hopefully we can contain this fire quickly, before it causes too much disruption to traffic - it's a very busy road," she says.

Police have diverted traffic at Kaipara Flats Road for northbound vehicles and onto SH16 at Wellsford for those southbound.

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