A Kiwi forklift operator leapt to safety at the Mount Maunganui wharves last week after his seat caught fire.

The man noticed a smoky smell while operating the forklift, Bay of Plenty Times reported. Wharf employees rushed to his aid with fire extinguishers and by the time fire trucks from Tauranga and Mount Maunganui arrived, the blaze was well underway.

The forklift was destroyed but the driver escaped uninjured. A package of logs nearby was singed but no other damage was done.

The blazing forklift sent black smoke into the air that was visible across the city, the newspaper reported.