Auckland fire: Neighbours watch in horror as fire engulfs New Lynn home, one person dies

Two Auckland families have spoken of the quick escape from their houses as their neighbouring property went up in flames, tragically killing one occupant.

The person died in the blaze on Kohekohe St early this morning.

Police and Fire and Emergency NZ are currently working to “determine the circumstances of the fire.”

Emergency services were alerted to the well-involved blaze in the two-storey property around 6.30am.

One neighbour said she, her husband, and their two children were in their front lounge when they heard a loud bang.

She initially believed it could have been a cat jumping onto their upstairs roof.

“My husband ran outside, told me to get the kids, and we ran out and saw the house on fire.

“He [her husband] was incredible. He started to run to the door, was screaming for the neighbour, got the other neighbours out and then started to water down her plants.”

Firefighters tackle a blaze at a house on Kohekohe Street in New Lynn, October 28 2023, as the house fire claimed the life of a person inside the dwelling. Picture / supplied

Another neighbour directly next door said their whole house was asleep when the fire started, but was woken up by the other neighbour shouting to wake them up.

“He was shouting ‘come out, come out!’ and then we woke up and saw smoke.”

After they had left the house, they witnessed the fire slowly engulf the rest of the house with the help of the wind.

While they have been let back into their house, there are still smoke spots in the bathroom and the burned smell still lingers.

Fire and Emergency services had placed a cordon has been put in place across the road 100m from the fire-blackened house, but that has now been lifted.

The font of a house on Kohekohe Street in New Lynn, scene of a fatal house fire. Photo / David Williams

Hato Hone St John ambulance said one person was treated at the scene for minor injuries. There was a second person at the property they could not comment on.

Fire and Emergency NZ shift manager Ryan Geen said: “At 6.38 this morning we received multiple calls of a two-storey house on fire”.

“We dispatched three fire trucks and we arrived at 6.54am and immediately called for more man power and two additional trucks to assist.”

The crew reported a “well involved two-storey house and sent in search crews with breathing apparatus at 7.11am.

Geen said specialist investigators were also on the way to the New Lynn address to ascertain the cause of the fire.

It was not immediately clear how many people were at the property.