Occupants escape suspicious house fire in Saint Leonards, Hastings

Emergency services were called to the house fire on Townshend Rd about 7.30pm on Thursday. Photo / NZME

The occupants of a Hastings house were able to escape a suspicious fire on Thursday.

Emergency services were called to Townshend St, St Leonards, about 7.30pm on Thursday.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand said the blaze was contained to the exterior of the property, but was being treated as suspicious.

A FENZ spokesman confirmed there were people in the property at the time of the fire. There were no injuries.

Police were also called to the scene.

A police spokeswoman said officers spoke with the occupants of the property involved, with the circumstances still yet to be determined.

Two fire trucks spent an hour and 15 minutes at the scene of the fire.

The blaze follows a house fire in Dannevirke earlier this month that left a family of four suffering from smoke inhalation.

Two boys were taken to hospital after a fire ravaged their home on Albert St on June 6.

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