Drone footage of the fire near the Farmhouse Lodge in Fernhill. Photo: SUPPLIED
Homes in rural Hastings are being evacuated due to a scrub fire which has destroyed buildings.
Fire crews said they responded to the blaze Tuesday afternoon which is located between the Fernhill township and the Ngaruroro River bridge on SH50.
Have you been impacted by the fire? Send photos to iwitness@rnz.co.nz
St John said one person has been taken to hospital in a serious condition, and another ambulance and a rapid response vehicle were at the scene on standby.
Fire and emergency crews had ordered some evacuations for residents living near the Farmhouse Lodge on the outskirts of Fernhill.
Everyone living around the lodge had been accounted for, a spokesperson said.
Hawke's Bay Fire and Emergency said conditions are too windy for air operations, but five trucks, three tankers and support vehicles are working to contain the fire.
The fire is about 400 by 200m in size, they reported at 2.30pm.
People in the area should stay indoors and keep windows and doors shut to avoid smoke exposure.
Smoke from the Fernhill fire seen at 6.11pm on Tuesday. Photo: Sven Ericksen
Police said a section of SH50, Fernhill, had been closed and would remain closed overnight.
The public should avoid the area and take alternate routes or expect delays.
Farmhouse Lodge owner Dawson Bliss, said a tenant alerted him to the smoke billowing up the hill.
When Bliss went to investigate, it appeared an old bus was on fire on flat land near the Ngaruroro river.
"I rushed down there and got close to it and had extinguishers and so forth, but it was just too ablaze to try and get close enough," he said.
The fire brigade had been called by then and his wife checked all the rooms to ensure everyone was out safe.
Bliss said he put his drone up and saw little fires cropping up all over the hill, due to the wind carrying sparks.
The lodge has a main building and about 25 surrounding cabins, he said.
He was unsure of the extent of the damage to his property, given he, his wife and the tenants had been moved about a kilometre down the road.
Bliss did not know when they would be able to return.
He said he had put tracks on the hilly property to act as fire breaks.
"They did the job quite well," he said.
"The fire brigade threw plenty of iron at it ... they were doing their best."
Bliss said he was feeling okay, but "later on it might be worse, when we take stock of the situation."
His wife Novia was "very emotional over what's happened", Bliss said.
Meanwhile crews were also working on another scrub fire that's threatening houses near Havelock North, but it was contained at this stage.
A fire and emergency spokesperson said the fire was threatening houses in Havelock North, but there were no formal evacuations at this stage.
However, nearby residents had been told to evacuate if they felt unsafe.
Hastings mayor Wendy Schollum said her heartfelt sympathy went to everyone impacted.
"It's a really distressing time of year for our community to be facing something like this," she said.
Schollum said the blaze emphasised the importance of adhering to fire bans, with record high temperatures last month, compounded by high winds.
"While we had a little bit of rain more recently, it's not enough to make a meaningful difference," she said.
"That complete fire ban is something we need our community to take seriously, and that includes things like fireworks too ... if you've tucked some away from earlier in the year, please don't set them off."
Multiple fire restrictions are in place in Hawke's Bay, with crews warning of high fire danger levels.
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