A mother and her children fled the 6.15am Wynyard Cres fire.
A mother and her young children in the Napier suburb of Tamatea managed to escape a house fire unscathed.
Emergency services were called to the home on Wynyard Cres, Tamatea, about 6.10am on Tuesday.
Four fire crews arrived at the scene to find the house "well ablaze", a Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said.
Smoke from the blaze was so intense it could be seen from Taradale's Dolbel Reserve, where early morning walkers were exercising.
Next-door-neighbour Mary Brophy said a woman and three young children were in the house at the time of the fire.
"My dogs alerted me to the fire and all the street dogs were going nuts about 6.15am," she said.
"Nobody was hurt, but the house went up in less than 10 minutes. The iron roof burnt too."
The FENZ spokesman confirmed a number of people were in the house at the time but managed to get out safely and all were accounted for.
Police said no injuries were reported.
A fire investigator is currently on the scene carrying out an investigation. The investigator said initial checks suggested the fire started in a bedroom and there was nothing suspicious about the blaze.
A police spokesman said the fire was put out by firefighters by 7.10am.
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