Cause of fire at Katikati property on Christmas Day under investigation

Katikati Volunteer Fire Brigade attended a kitchen fire in Cannon Rd, Katikati on December 25. Photo / Supplied

The cause of a fire that gutted a kitchen at a Katikati orchard property is under investigation.

A Fire and Emergency NZ spokesman said the fire at a Cannon Rd property was reported at 3.35am today and fire crews from Katikati, Waihi and Mayor View stations responded to the kitchen fire inside a single-storey home. Firefighters were at the scene for almost three hours.

The spokesman said the cause of the fire was being investigated and a fire investigator was at the scene.

Katikati deputy fire chief Craig Gray said on arrival there was “lots of smoke” and it took “multiple” deliveries of water to extinguish the blaze. Firefighters managed to contain the fire to the kitchen, which would need to be rebuilt.

“Fortunately, the occupants of the family home, some of whom may have been asleep when the fire broke out, managed to get out safely and no one was injured.”

Gray said he did know exactly how many were living or staying at the property, but relatives turned up to comfort them.

“Everyone is safe and luckily the damage is only to the kitchen.”

Katikati chief fire officer Joe Manukau said he wanted to praise the fire crews who responded so quickly to the fire as the house was situated in an orchard area at the top of a “quite steep” driveway.