Fire erupts on cargo ship

Emergency services have been called back to the cargo ship Lucy Oldendorff after a fire in one of the ship's holds.

Tauranga station firefighter Jono Preston said there was a fire in the front hold of the cargo ship.

"It's a Palm Kernel ship that has a small area in the forward hold that's caught on fire."

"Fire crew are in the process of emptying it by crane."

The ship is currently in the Port of Tauranga with a cargo of Palm Kernel.

A Tauranga fire spokesperson said a small fire had developed in the number one hold in the bow of the vessel.

The spokesperson said port authorities, the fire service and the ship's crew were involved in removing burnt material and assessing fire spread.

Five fire appliances and 21 fire service personnel are involved.

The Lucy Oldendorff is the same ship fire crew attended on Monday morning, when crew saw smoke coming from inside the number one hold.

At the time, a fire crew spokesperson said there had been a fire in the hold but it appeared to be out.