UPDATED 11.30am Fire crews are working to dampen down hotspots after extinguishing a large shelter belt fire west of Pāpāmoa.

Fire and Emergency we called to a large shelter belt fire in Kairua around 8.20am, after it was called in by a passing aircraft.

Fire and Emergency northern communications shift manager Josh Pennefather says they are still in attendance but have scaled back the number of crews.

'The Pāpāmoa brigade and the Greerton tanker are still in attendance,” he says.

'The fire has been extinguished, they're overhauling the area and checking for hotspots.”

EARLIER: Fire crews are working to contain a large shelter belt fire in Kairua this morning.

The fire is approximately 500m long by 2m wide on a property, on Kairua Road west of Pāpāmoa.

Fire and Emergency northern communications shift manager Josh Pennefather says three fire trucks and two tankers are working to contain the blaze.

He says the fire was initially called in by a passing aircraft, via the Tauranga Airport control tower, at 8.20am.

Crews from Pāpāmoa, Mount Maunganui, Greerton and Te Puke fire stations are attending the fire.

SunLive will continue to monitor the situation and will update the story as information becomes available.

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