A fire on Hopukiore, also known as Mount Drury, has been extinguished by fire fighters from the Mount Maunganui Fire Brigade.

Fire and Emergency NZ northern shift manager Daniel Nicholson says that a member of the public noticed the fire on Sunday morning.

"We got the job at 8.22am," says Daniel. "There was a tree stump on fire. It was extinguished with one hose, and the crew left the scene about 15 minutes later."

A fire fighter from the Mount Maunganui Fire Brigade at the scene of the stump fire at Hopukiore on Sunday morning. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

It is unknown how the fire started.

Daniel says that it's not being treated as suspicious, and they haven't requested an investigation.

"This is a reminder that we are in a prohibited fire season," says Mount Maunganui Fire Brigade Station Officer Tim Pearce.

"We don't know how this fire started but it looked like it had been burning for a while. Someone was out walking and saw it smouldering."

Fire truck from the Mount Maunganui station on the corner of Pacific Ave and May St on Sunday morning. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

The tree stump that was on fire is about 20 metres off the road on the corner of Pacific Avenue and May Street.

The Mount Drury Reserve includes a well established loop track, a lookout at the top of the summit which is about 40 metres, two picnic areas, two public toilets and a large playground with a disability swing. The park is surrounded by houses and shops.

The Bay of Plenty Fire District including South Waikato moved to a prohibited fire season on January 25.

This means everyone in the Bay of Plenty can no longer light an open-air fire. All fire permits previously granted have been suspended, and new permits will not be issued while the ban is in place.

Bay of Plenty District Manager Jeff Maunder says the change will help prevent a large wildfire in the district.

'The current climate conditions have driven the total fire ban as the indicators have hit our pre-determined fire plan triggers for a prohibited fire season. The temperatures are high and dry and the humidity is low, making it the perfect condition for fires to get out of control,” says Jeff.

There are still some activities involving fire that are allowed during a prohibited fire season. For more information on what you can and can't do, and how to do your activity safely, go to checkitsalright.nz

Jeff would also like to remind everyone to take extra care when undertaking activities that can cause sparks.

'Reduce your risk as much as possible – it takes just one spark to start a wildfire. Have plenty of water available, wait until the morning or evenings when the humidity is higher and temperatures are cooler, and if possible undertake the activity on cleared bare ground,” says Jeff.

If you are in doubt, head to checkitsalright.nz for more information.

Fire fighters from the Mount Maunganui Fire Brigade at the scene of the stump fire at Hopukiore on Sunday morning. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.