Fire and Emergency services are responding to a scrub fire in the Tauranga suburb of Kairua after receiving a report of smoke in the area.

Firefighters arrived at the scene to find a scrub fire in gorse in toetoe about 10 metres by 10 metres, a spokesperson said.

“Currently, we’ve got one crew on scene, but we’ve got two more appliances and a water tanker en route.”

A witness who drove past said the “huge fire” was in the hills behind the Bay Park stadium.

“The smoke is massive, you can’t miss it and it’s getting bigger.”