A newly refurbished steam engine may have been responsible for starting a large scrub fire north of Wellington on Monday night.
A helicopter and 10 rural fire engines were needed to bring the blaze, between Stokes Valley and Silverstream, under control.
On Monday afternoon, volunteers from the Silver Stream Railway group had started up a decades-old Barclay steam engine for the first time after 11 years of restoration.
However, a fire broke out about 4pm, the Dominion Post reports.
The group's general manager Jason Durry told the paper it is possible a spark from the steam engine may have ignited the fire.
Upper Hutt deputy principal rural fire officer Craig Cottrill said no property was threatened by the fire.
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