Firefighters who raced to a fire on the Coromandel Peninsular just before 3.30 are still battling to control it

The fire now spread across some 10 hectares.

It started in a paddock off Whangamata Rd, near Parakiwai Quarry Road, just south of Whangamata.

A helicopter is assisting the dozens of firefighters tackling the blaze.

They are dealing with hazards such as streams, un-burnt shrubbery and an old dump site.

Northwesterly winds in the area are expected to ease off this evening, and a few showers are forecast.