Five helicopters, 40 firefighters and heavy machinery are battling a scrub fire in Northland's Kaipara district

Seven houses near Aranga, north of Dargaville, were evacuated last night as a safety precaution, due to the blaze.

Fire and Emergency says it's burnt about 70 hectares of land so far.

Fires are restricted in most of Northland, but there's a total fire ban north of Awanui to Cape Reinga and on the Karikari Peninsula