House fire closes part of State Highway 1 in Sanson

Fire crews continue work to extinguish Tongariro National Park blaze

Meanwhile, some tourism businesses in the park were feeling "apprehensive" about the closure of one of the main tourist attractions going into the peak summer period.

Full Video: FENZ provide update on Tongariro National Park blaze

Fire and Emergency New Zealand Incident Controller Nigel Dravitzki was speaking from the scene of the 2500ha fire in National Park Village/Waimarino.

What's happening with local council pay in Whanganui, Ruapehu and Rangitīkei

The new rates reflect updated size indices for each council and revised governance remuneration pools that account for workload increases in some areas.

Whakapapa Village evacuated as Tongariro fire continues to rage

Twelve helicopters are battling a 1800ha inferno as hikers were airlifted to safety and evacuations expanded across Tongariro National Park.