Fire crews who have been tackling a large scrub fire in the hills of Naenae, Lower Hutt have been forced to cease operations after a drone flew into the area.
Two helicopters were sent to battle the blaze, which occured at 4pm on Friday, as access to the scrub fire was too difficult from the ground.
The helicopters dumped monsoon buckets over the fire, while Fire and Emergency (FENZ) crews set up base in Naenae Park.
However, a drone spotted near the blaze forced fire crews to suspend their aerial firefighting operations.
Incident Controller Jason Hill has urgently asked all members of the public with drones to avoid the area.
"We have had to suspend the aerial attack while the drone is in the air to ensure the safety of our pilots and crews."
Ground crews are still tackling the blaze, but there is a limited amount of daylight left to safely operate the helicopters.
FENZ told Newshub "protection measures" have been put in place around nearby houses located in Wilke Crescent.
FENZ Murray Dunbar shift manager told Stuff the houses have not been affected by the blaze at this time.
The fire was initially 40-by-20 metres in size, but had "grown considerably" throughout the afternoon, according to Dunbar.
Dunbar says the fire was thought to have been started accidentally due to activities on the firebreak.
