'Bang and scream' before deadly fire

A "bang and scream" were heard before a fire started at a home where a man's body was discovered yesterday.

Police have not revealed the man's name - or how he died - but the Herald has learned he was Christopher William Foss, a 59-year-old health care worker.

Mr Foss's body was found at the rear of the Housing New Zealand home in Jennings St, Mt Albert, in which he lived.

A neighbour, who asked not to be named, said Mr Foss was a long-standing resident in the small cul-de-sac.

She said Mr Foss was a nice quiet man who lost a wife many years ago to cancer.

She said he had recently married a Thai woman and the close-knit neighbourhood was shocked by yesterday's news.

Family friend Loraine Villaluz told the Herald that Mr Foss's wife was stunned by the death and was staying in bed while the news sank in.

She said Mr Foss was "just a good person" and the family were waiting to hear from police about how he died.

Police did not yet know yesterday whether the death was accidental.

Fire Service northern communication centre shift manager Phil Norris said firefighters were called about 6.20am.

"We were notified by a neighbour in a nearby street that they had heard a bang and scream and they believed there to be a bush fire between the property that we were in attendance at and the railway lines that service the western district to the central business district.

"There was a report that it was a fuel fire and there was a body discovered," he said.

"There were no indications as to the amount of fuel and the nature of how the deceased became deceased."

Neighbour Rocky Papalii said his family called emergency services after hearing a "boom" and venturing outside to discover trees on fire.