Mike Barratt, affectionately nicknamed Sooty, died overnight.

He spent 57-years with the Fire Brigade at Piha west of Auckland.

In a social media post, the brigade said Sooty was at the heart of their crew, and had been a fixture for as long as anyone could remember.

>> More Accident and Emergency News

Other Accident and Emergency News

04 Oct: Police have launched a homicide investigation in Dunedin, after a man was found dead at a Great King St property yesterday

04 Oct: Police are continuing investigations into the fire that killed two people in Auckland's Bucklands Beach on Thursday morning

03 Oct: Emergency services are responding to a two-vehicle crash and a chemical spill in Pokeno

03 Oct: A teenager's been arrested following a serious assault in Auckland's Waiuku on Wednesday night

03 Oct: Christchurch Police have arrested three 14-year-olds linked to commercial burglaries, dangerous driving, and vehicle thefts across the city this week

03 Oct: The mother of a missing Christchurch 17-year-old has thanked the search team for their efforts to find her son

03 Oct: A Coroner's report has ruled a man who went missing off the coast of Porirua in 2023, probably drowned after a diving mishap

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