A large scrub fire which threatened homes in Auckland last night is being treated as suspicious.

The blaze at Stanley Point, near Devonport, was 40 metres wide.

Firefighters were forced to fight the flames from both land and sea in order to contain it, after it caught fire around 11.30 and houses were threatened.

The fire was located on the southern end of Stanley Point, on the banks of the beach.

Firefighters from Devonport were tasked with protecting the houses, while other fire crews went out on board the police launch to fight the fire from the sea, and land-based crews battled the blaze from Stanley Point Roadd.

The fire was contained, and the area dampened down by around 2.15.