A fire investigator is expected to return to the scene of a 'massive” fire in Mount Maunganui this morning.

New Zealand Fire and Emergency received multiple calls to flames and black smoke coming from the refuse station on Tip Lane around 5.20pm.

Northern fire communications shift manager John Ditmer says they received calls of a large fire endangering a building.

He says it reached 'third alarm level”, which means multiple fire appliance were needed to battle the blaze.

It total, 16 appliances were called to the scene.

'It was pallets and a truck on fire. We had multiple crews battling the fire and providing protection.

'Crews arrived at 5.20pm and left at 11.30pm once the fire was out.

'There is a fire safety investigator returning to the scene today.”

John says the fire escalated quickly from when the first fire crew arrived at the scene, and additional firefighters were need to battle the blaze.

There were no reports of injuries from the fire.