A 54-year-old man has been flown to hospital after being trapped inside a car which crashed causing a scrub fire during a car rally in Pukehina today.

A power pole came down after a rally car crashed into it at a rally car race in Pukehina today. Photos: Daniel Hines.

Police, fire and ambulance services were called to Old Coach Road and its intersection with Ohinepanea Road just before 1.30pm after a rally car crashed into a power pole which fell onto a shelter belt and caught fire. It is not known how big the fire was.

Northern fire communications shift manager Steve Smith says one person has been flown to Rotorua Hospital by helicopter after being trapped by the leg inside the crashed car.

Steve says appliances from Pukehina, Te Puke and Maketu were called to attend. Emergency services are still at the scene.

A rally car was flattened after a rally car race today.

A reporter at the scene says power lines are down and the front of the car is flattened.

Pukehina Fire Brigade senior officer Errol Watts says the road was closed for a car rally before a rally car reached a speed of 180km/h and "lost control" crashing into a power pole.

The power pole fell onto the shelter belt which caught fire, says Errol.

"One person was trapped in the car but the co-driver was able to get out."

Two people were sitting in a car watching the rally where the car crashed and were lucky to escape injury.

Errol says there were "very quick actions" by some bystanders who were able to pull the crashed car with a 4x4 away from the fire.

"Then we were able to call Maketu (Fire Brigade) to help extract him."

The road is closed about 3km away from the crash site.

Emergency services at the scene at Pukehina today.

The burnt remains of a deckchair where people were sitting prior to the crash.