Firefighters at the scene of a house fire in Hairini. Photo / Scott Yeoman
Unattended cooking was the cause of a house fire in Hairini this afternoon.
Three fire crews were called to the blaze in a two-storey house in Waimapu Pa Rd about 1.20pm.
Greerton Fire Brigade station officer Neil Patrick said the fire started from a pot of cooking oil left on a stovetop.
He said somebody "left it and came back to a kitchen fire".
Patrick said it was a reminder of the dangers of unattended cooking.
The fire had gone up through the rangehood and into the ceiling.
Two rooms - the kitchen and dining - were damaged and other parts of the house were smoke damaged.
There were no injuries, Patrick said.
Two fire crews from Greerton and one from Tauranga attended the incident.
A disregard for authority could be why those attending court are thumbing their noses.