Fire investigations continue; service for victim planned

Flowers placed outside a house on Moiri Place where a person died in a fire. Photo/George Novak

Police are still working on identifying the person killed in a house fire in Maungatapu on Tuesday afternoon, but a small church service will be held in their honour this weekend.

At this stage, police did not know when identification would be completed, a police spokeswoman said.

Police were not seeking anyone else in relation to the incident.

Inquiries were continuing to try to find out what caused the fire, which was described as "explosive" by neighbours at the scene on Moiri Pl.

It took seven fire trucks to fully put out the fire about 1pm on Tuesday.

The spokeswoman said police had received excellent co-operation from the local community and thanked them for their assistance.

A small church service was planned for Sunday at 7.30pm at the house of a neighbour who was also a minister.

Moiri Pl resident Gary Tund said the service was a way for the community on the street to get together, saying many neighbours had been traumatised by the fatal fire.

Mr Tund and his wife moved to Moiri Pl just three weeks ago but said in that short time he had been struck by the neighbourhood's "good spirit".

"It's [the death] is quite sad really. The service is for anyone who knew the person or neighbours to just get together."

Mr Tund did not know the person who died, but as a neighbour he felt he should go to the service and bring a plate.

Meanwhile a Greerton Rd fire on May 30 was being treated as unexplained. Police were still awaiting results of the scene examination. There have been no arrests.