A two-storied home in Rotorua was severely damaged by fire today.
A fire service spokesman said the alarm was raised shortly before midday with a Thackeray Place house well involved in fire.
He said there were initial fears people were trapped inside but a search revealed no one inside the property.
It took two trucks 15 minutes to bring the fire under control and caused "pretty significant" damage to the house, he said.
Investigators were at the scene determining the cause of the blaze.