This video, captured by a member of the public, shows the start of the fire.

A public firework display appears to have caused a large scrub fire in Palmerston North.

The city's annual fireworks display was on Tuesday night, with fireworks let off from Anzac Park above the Manawatū River.

The 15-minute show was visible across the city and the river was lined with people watching.

But as the fireworks started, a scrub fire broke out on the bank below the Anzac Park carpark, opposite the Manawatū Golf Club. An orange glow was visible at the top of the hill during the display.

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MURRAY WILSON/STUFF Fire takes hold at Anzac Park following a fireworks display.

Video footage from an onlooker, and shown to Stuff, depicts a skyrocket launching but the trajectory going awry. Immediately afterwards a growing orange glow appears.

The fireworks ended, but the fire continued. Smoke poured from a large area of hillside as the fire burnt scrub and trees, with firefighters spraying water from the top of the bank and using spotlights to keep an eye on the blaze. The fire burnt its way south along the bank.

A fire and emergency spokesman said they hadn't confirmed the cause of the blaze, which was 50m by 70m in size, but they had received a lot of calls saying fireworks were the cause.

He said two fire engines from Palmerston North, as well three rural units attended.

The fire was contained about 9.50pm and was extinguished by 10.20pm.

Hundreds of people were along the river walkway for the fireworks and many remained to watch the fire.

Feilding woman Shelley Allanson had come with daughters Hayley, 13, and Sophie, 9, to watch the fireworks.

"They were good until the first five minutes and then all these flames started coming up," Allanson said. "It was just little flames at the start and you just saw a bit of smoke.

Elise van Ginkel The fire started on the bank below the Anzac park carpark.

"So we thought it was just part of the fireworks with the smoke at the end of it. Then the flames started getting higher and higher and there was more and more smoke.

"Everyone around us was saying 'ring the fire brigade'. But then as the flames were coming down you could see more sparks from the fireworks adding to it and then just it went up."

She said sparks were falling onto the bank and "showering straight onto the greenery".

She said the sparks from the fireworks were what caused the fire.

SUPPLIED Firefighters used spotlights to help tackle the blaze in the darkness.

"It's all computerised isn't it so they can't stop it. It just kept adding [to the fire]. The first fire truck came and I think there's three up there now."

Sophie said the fireworks were fun but the fire was scary.

The region's other large fireworks display at Rongotea was last week.

Elise van Ginkel A scrub fire started during fireworks display at Anzac Park in Palmerston North on Tuesday night.