By RNZ
A woman and her 3-year-old have escaped a fire in Auckland, while armed police went to the scene because of a gang presence.
“[They] managed to escape the fire’s wrath in the nick of time, but they were left with nothing more than the clothes on their backs,” a Givealittle page set up on Friday morning said.
“The fire didn’t just take their material possessions; it took away their sense of security, their comfort, the walls that housed them, their home.”
Armed police were at the scene on Red Hills Rd in Massey, West Auckland.
Police said officers attended a gang-related incident.
“Due to a number of people at the cordon, including gang members, specialist police were in attendance to ensure everyone’s safety,” a spokesperson said.
“At this stage, the fire is being treated as unexplained and inquiries by emergency services will continue this morning to determine the full circumstances.”
A man was detained for entering the scene earlier on Friday, but was released shortly after, police said.
No arrests had been made.
Crews were called to the fire at the two-storey home about 8.30pm on Thursday and found it well alight.
A witness told the Herald the house was “utterly destroyed”.
The fire was extinguished within a few hours.
The 19-year-old disappeared without her wallet or mobile phone.