The large bush fire was spreading quickly through the northern tip of the Coromandel Peninsula.

A large bush fire sparked by an alleged drunken fireworks escapade has been put out.

More than 20 firefighters helped control the blaze at Fletcher Bay at the tip of the Coromandel Peninsula which flared up early on Monday.

A helicopter was at the site after sunrise with a monsoon bucket but it left mid-morning. A fresh crew was there at noon to help dampen hot spots.

SUPPLIED The fire began at Fletcher Bay.

The fire was caused by fireworks, Fire and Emergency's northern communications shift manager Paul Radden said.

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It spread through native bush and there was no indication it affected any houses, he said.

SUPPLIED "Within five minutes, it was a full-on bushfire," says a witness who claims a drunk driver's firework started the blaze.

The helicopter was called to help put out the fire after daybreak when visibility was better, Radden said.

Earlier, campers forcibly removed car keys from a camper who allegedly sparked the blaze at midnight.

Rural firefighters were called to the scene of the blaze soon after.

SUPPLIED A Fire and Emergency spokesman said the fire spread quickly through the bush.

Wellingtonians Thomas Strawbridge and William Francis were among the around 50 people camping at Fletcher Bay to welcome in 2018.

Strawbridge said a number of campers were lighting fireworks as the clock struck midnight, but things quickly took a turn.

"Five minutes later, a guy in a red four-wheel-drive boosted through the soft sand. He stopped, and then sparked fireworks and shot it straight up.

"A second shot from the firework sat in the grass for 15 seconds before it went ablaze."

The three people in the vehicle were clearly intoxicated, he said.

Francis rushed towards the vehicle, as the driver was revving in the direction of the road.

"He was trying to muscle it out of the sand. They were trying to tell me it would burn out, so I ripped his door open and took his keys out.

"Within five minutes, it was a full-on bushfire. It's burned out everything from there to the water and now it's spreading inland."

The driver left, but the four-wheel-drive remained at the beach.

"We were having a mean time until this. Now, a heap of pohutukawa trees are gone," Francis said.

The drama skewered their New Year's celebrations, but their group of 16 campers were reassured the wind would blow the fire away from the tent sites.

"There's two roads out of here, so I think we're fine."

Fire and Emergency's southern communications shift manager, Riwai Grace, told Radio NZ there was a spike in call outs to fireworks incidents between 10pm and 2am.

She said many people were irresponsible and it was lucky there were no big fires in the southern region and no-one got hurt.

"The chances of major fires happening because of people being stupid, it was quite shocking."

People in Christchurch were firing fireworks at a horse, he said.

"That's very distressing as an animal lover. People are just not using common sense."