Two Ōpōtiki businesses were gutted by fire on Sunday night, with neighbouring businesses having to close temporarily because of smoke damage.

Ōpōtiki Fire Brigade was called to a fire at the laundromat on Church Street at 11.22pm and soon after discovered the neighbouring Bakehouse Cafe was alight too.

It is unclear if they were two distinct fires or if the fire spread from one building to another.

The cause is under investigation by Fire and Emergency NZ and police.

Ōpōtiki deputy fire chief Barry Hennessy said reinforcements were called in from further afield because of fears that the fire would spread through the connected block of shops.

“I was extremely proud of the hard work our members did in getting the fire under control, and we’re extremely grateful for the back-up from brigades including Tāneatua, Ōhope, Whakatāne, Edgecumbe, Kawerau and Mount Maunganui.”

The Mount Maunganui brigade responded with their aerial appliance and Mr Hennessy said although it wasn’t required to fight the fire, its thermal camera was used to check hot spots on the roof.

“Our team worked really hard in the early stages, with an evolving situation, to bring it under control and we were extremely grateful for the help.

“We were getting pretty tired by the time the backup arrived.”

Fire and Emergency personnel were at the scene for much of the night, with firefighters leaving at about 3am.

Mr Hennessy said the laundromat and the Bakehouse were extensively damaged by the fire, and the adjacent chemist and paint shops were smoke damaged.

“We were really worried about the fire spreading into those adjacent buildings, so we got everyone there in case they were needed. It's better to have them there or on the way in case things go pear shaped.”

A community effort was organised yesterday to help the Bakehouse owners clear out some of the damage to their shop.

The Bakehouse Cafe owners shared their heartbreak in a Facebook post, which also thanked firefighters for their efforts.

Ōpōtiki Fire Brigade assisted at another fire on Tuesday afternoon, when a blaze spread through a hillside in Wairore, near Te Kaha.

Brigades from Waihau Bay, the Whakatāne-based Eastern Bay brigade, Hicks Bay, Greerton and Tauranga also attended.

Mr Hennessy said first reports from the ground were that the fire was about 1.6 hectares in size, but it had grown substantially and would likely need multiple days to put out entirely.

“It is dry in the coastal areas and people need to be so careful at the moment.”

Ōpōtiki and Edgecumbe brigades responded to another coastal vegetation fire in Hawai yesterday.

It is a restricted fire season, and permits are required for anyone wishing to light a fire.

Go to www.checkitsalright.nz/ before lighting a fire.