Two 14-year-old girls are being spoken to by police after a scrub fire which forced the evacuation of a shopping mall on Auckland’s North Shore.

A Fire Service spokesman said half a hectare of scrub was on fire when firefighters arrived about 1.30pm.

Acting Sergeant Kelly Corby said the neighbouring Westfield Albany mall was evacuated as a result.

Two 14-year-old girls were seen leaving the area who had been picked up by police.

They were being spoken to at the North Shore Policing Centre.

Meanwhile a large scrub fire is spreading fast next to Wanganui Airport.

A Fire Service spokesman said numerous calls were received around midday about large amounts of smoke coming from the airport.

It could be seen from some distance away in Wanganui township.

The fire was covering at least 1 hectare of tussock grass between the ocean and the airport.

It was windy and the fire spreading fast, the spokesman said.

A helicopter with a monsoon bucket had been deployed from the airport, as had several other fire appliances.

A large amount of smoke was reaching the airport but it was not known whether flights would be affected at this stage.
 

– Image / Albany scrub fire / Twitter / FirecommNZ

– APNZ