Two helicopters, nine fire trucks and 24 crew are battling a forestry fire on Matakana Island near Tauranga in the Bay of Plenty this morning.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand was alerted to the fire at 7.36pm on Saturday evening.

Acting Shift Manager Ryan Geen says the fire is now burning over approximately 20 hectares of forestry and slash.

"The fire is sporadic throughout the 20 hectares, and we have heavy machinery working on it," says Ryan.

The barge and Omokoroa wharf with Matakana Island and the fire in the distance on Saturday night. Photo: Chris Dever.

On Saturday night, Fire and Emergency Shift Manager Garreth Lewis said the fire in south Matakana was "approximately 300 metres by 300 metres and its very visible from the mainland".

The fire on Matakana Island early on Sunday morning, seen from Mauao. Photo: Claire Rogers.

Crews Matakana Island and Greerton brigades monitored the fire overnight and this morning firefighting crews from the Tauranga area travelled to the island by barge.

SunLive readers watching from Beach Road in Matua around 1.30am on Sunday morning report that the fire was 'still growing and burning strong".

A photo taken from Beach Rd, Matua around 1.30am on Sunday morning shows the fire on Matakana Island still growing and burning strong. Photo: Cameron Avery.

No houses are at risk, and no one has been evacuated.

People are also being asked to stay away from the area.

The fire on Matakana Island, seen from Matua around dusk on Saturday. Photo: Josh Kelly.

The large fire plume was seen from across Tauranga, with SunLive readers in Pahoia, Matua and Maungatapu on Saturday night.

On Sunday morning, Matua residents woke to find ash and the smell of smoke around their properties.

Ash on a car in Matua on Sunday morning. Photo: Cameron Avery.

MetService is forecasting some light morning rain for the day ahead, then a few showers from around midday, possibly heavy.  There is a low northerly breeze flowing across the Tauranga harbour this morning.

It is nearly three years to the day since a large fire broke out on Matakana Island on December 13, 2020.

FENZ says there will be a further update around noon today.

At the scene?

Phone 0800SUNLIVE or email newsroom@thesun.co.nz