Moerewa home badly damaged by fire

Volunteer firefighters at the scene of Saturday morning's house fire on Ōtiria Rd, Moerewa. Photo / Peter de Graaf

A Moerewa home was extensively damaged in a fire on Saturday morning that left a pall of smoke hanging over the valley from Turntable Hill to Kawakawa.

Kawakawa deputy fire chief Alistair Leitch said the brigade was called to the Ōtiria Rd rental home around 8.30am.

Firefighters could see the smoke from Kawakawa so they called on the Paihia brigade to send two trucks as back-up.

''The whole house was about to blow out but we knocked it down pretty quick. Everybody who was inside at the time was safely out,'' he said.

A volunteer firefighter packs up a hose after a house fire on Ōtiria Rd in Moerewa. Photo / Peter de Graaf

The volunteers initially attacked the blaze through the windows before going inside with breathing apparatus, once they were confident the fire wasn't going to get any worse, to tackle the flames more effectively.

The main part of the house was extensively damaged, Leitch said.

The family was alerted when they saw flames. No one was hurt.

The cause was not immediately clear. Firefighters were also trying to confirm whether the house had working smoke alarms.