No saving an old kauri villa

RAZED: There was nothing or firefighters to do at Pawarenga on Monday morning but dampen down the smouldering remains of an old kauri villa.

There was nothing firefighters from three brigades could do to save an old kauri villa in the North Hokianga from total destruction on Monday morning.

The Kaitaia Fire Brigade was called out at 7.15am, and took almost an hour to reach the scene on Runaruna Road, but it was too late even before they left the station. Crews from Ahipara and Kohukohu turned out as well, along with a Top Energy technician and Kohukohu's resident police officer.

Kaitaia Senior Station Officer Ross Beddows said farmer Mike Holland, who lived about a kilometre away, raised the alarm just after 7.10 when he noticed smoke, by which stage the house, which was unoccupied, had already collapsed.

The owner of the house lives in Ohaeawai, and was understood to be in the process of selling it to a Christchurch couple. It was partly furnished, with power connected, and was insured.

A large three-bay shed and a tractor some eight metres from the house were not damaged.

Mr Beddows said fire crews were advised of a power line that had fallen at the entrance to the property, about 600 metres from the house. More lines that were draped over a fence at the scene were treated as live until the Top Energy technician arrived.

Once he had confirmed it was safe to start work crews began removing the roofing iron from the embers and two high-pressure deliveries and foam were used to dampen down the remains. Small residual fires smouldering in nearby scrub and fences were also extinguished.

"The heat generated by the flames had almost completely burned some sheets of roofing iron near what is believed to have been the seat of the fire, suggesting that it had been burning for a considerable time, possibly starting in the very early hours of the morning," Mr Beddows added.

"Three thousand litres of water from two appliances was used, supplemented by a downpour that ensured that everyone got as wet as the firefighters on the end of the hoses."

Whangarei-based fire investigator Terry Baylis had examined the scene, saying yesterday that he believed some form of electrical malfunction to have been responsible for the fire. In any event he was satisfied that there were no suspicious circumstances, although the insurer was undertaking its own investigation.

"By all accounts it was a lovely old home, and it's sad that it's gone," Mr Beddows said.

Meanwhile the Kaitaia Brigade dispatched a crew to Arawhata Road, east of Awanui, on Monday afternoon in response to arcing power lines. The property owner reported sparks coming from a tree where wires had touched, careful investigation revealing that a wooden cross arm on a pole further down the hill had slumped, releasing the tension on the lines, which then made contact with the tree.

The firefighters called it a day when Top Energy arrived, Mr Beddows saying the power supply wasn't cut, while the fire crew's only job had been to ensure that people stayed away from the tree.