Northland house almost completely destroyed by fire

The rear half of the weatherboard home on Puketotara Rd, between Kerikeri and Okaihau, had burned to the ground. Photo / Peter de Graaf

A house in Northland was almost completely destroyed in a fire that police have ruled out as being suspicious.

Only part of the weatherboard house on Puketotara Rd, between Ōkaihau and Kerikeri, could be saved by a number of firefighters from surrounding areas.

The fire started about 6.30pm on Saturday and by the time firefighters arrived, it was fully involved.

Firefighters from Kerikeri took the lead in extinguishing the blaze and were helped by appliances from Ōkaihau, Kāeo, Kawakawa and Paihia.

No one was in the house when the fire started.

Kāeo fire chief Lindsay Murray said a farmer's dam about 400 metres from the fire scene was used to pump water into fire appliances to be transported to the burning house.

All brigades were at the scene for at least two hours except Kerikeri which stayed longer.

A fire investigator arrived at the scene yesterday morning.It wasn't known by edition time who owned the property and how many people lived in the house which was situated off a metal road.

There were no houses in the immediate vicinity.

Whangārei police Senior Sergeant Brian Swann said police were not involved in investigating the blaze at it was not believed to have been an arson.