A fire at a Napier Hill house was caused by a dryer, Fire and Emergency Services have confirmed.
The fire broke out on Milton Rd in Napier on Tuesday, with Fire and Emergency Services called to the scene just after 11am.
Hawke's Bay Area Commander Ken Cooper confirmed to Hawke's Bay Today the fire was caused by a dryer which occupants left on, sparking the fire.
"We are quite confident that was the cause."
He said it was important to remember to clean dryers regularly to prevent similar situations.
"Lint etcetera builds up and that can overheat."
Police orginially treated the fire as suspicious, however this was changed when Fire and Emergency Services confirmed the cause.
The fire saw Milton Rd, Napier Tce and Harvey Rd blocked off.
At the time, neighbours near the cordon described watching flames "shoot out" of windows.
The alarm was raised at 11.12am when one occupant returned after a short while away from the house off Milton Rd on the northern Ahuriri side of the hill.
He noticed the fire coming from downstairs and was later praised by Fire Emergency NZ Hawke's Bay area commander Ken Cooper for deciding against re-entering the building.
The fire quickly burst into the top floor facing to the north over the intersection of significant hill thoroughfares at Milton and Burlington Rds.
Its rapid spread was highlighted by a Burlington Rd resident who said he was alerted by the smashing of the windows and saw the flames coming from the upper area of the house. He called 111 and learned the first fire crews were on their way.
With smoke having billowed from the building for more than 90 minutes, Cooper said there was difficulty fighting the fire in the flat roof, attached to which was a sizeable solar-heating panel.
There had been two dogs on the property - one escaped the fire but the second was killed during the blaze.
One of Napier's oldest homes is up for sale for the second time in three years.