The Waipoua River fire is now contained, and evacuated whānau will start returning to the Waipoua settlement from this evening.

The size of the fire remains 91 hectares with a 5.8km perimeter.

"After an extensive firefighting effort over the last 5 days, the Waipoua River fire is now contained and today’s objective is to keep it that way," says Incident Commander Phil Larcombe.

"The fire has not gone into native forest and Tane Mahuta is safe."

Ninety-six firefighters and heavy machinery are currently targetting hot spots. Overnight thermal imaging shows hotspot temperatures have dropped.

"We have been going big and hard here this weekend as a new weather pattern is forecast for Tuesday. We need to be ready for any impacts on the Waipoua River fire and for any incidents the weather might bring across Te Tai Tokerau Northland," says Larcombe.

Evacauted whānau have been invited to return to their homes this evening, if they wish.

Phil Larcombe says his team are working closely with iwi to rehome people safely and when they are ready, as operations continue over the coming days.

"Fires like these are tough for communities and tough for our people too.

"We’d like to thank the local community and Te Roroa for their manaakitanga while we have been here. Thanks too for all the messages of support for our crews, they are greatly appreciated."

Parts of Te Tai Tokerau Northland are now in a prohibited fire zone until further notice. This means no outdoor fires can be lit and all fire permits are revoked.

Everyone should go to Checkitsalright.nz to check the fire season in their area and for advice and guidance on lighting fires outside.

© Scoop Media