Firefighters from Kaitaia and Houhora had no chance of saving a small house at Kaimaumau from total destruction on Saturday evening. Kaitaia station officer Craig Rogers said he had seen smoke on the horizon before the appliance he was driving had left Kaitaia, a little before 6pm, suggesting that there would not be much left to save by the time he reached the scene some 40 kilometres north.
"It was on the ground by the time we got there," he said, leaving nothing for the crews aboard the two Kaitaia appliances and one tanker, and those aboard an appliance and tanker from Houhora, to do apart from ensuring the flames didn't spread.
An outbuilding was scorched but no other damage was done, although a Kaitaia crew was called out again at 10.40pm to attend to a burning stump.
The house, which was not insured, was occupied at the time, but no one was hurt.
Chief fire officer Colin Kitchen said an unattended pot on the stove had been responsible for the blaze, reinforcing the message he and others had repeated so often.
