Firefighters battle big house fire in Rotorua overnight. Video / Supplied
A large fire has destroyed the contents of a Paradise Valley property including at least three classic cars and a large truck.
The blaze broke out at a property on Paradise Valley Rd about 11pm, spreading through the building and then into neighbouring shrub.
A Rotorua Daily Post reporter at the scene said the fire had destroyed a large shed about 40m by 40m and what looked to be at least three classic cars and a large truck could be seen among the rubble.
A house on the property hadn't been damaged.
Damage from a fire at a Paradise Valley property last night. Photo / Kelly Makiha
The man who lives at the property arrived at the house just after 9am. He said he was too devastated to talk as he had lost everything. He said he was now meeting with the fire safety investigator.
A Bay of Plenty Regional Council worker arrived at the property just before 9am and said they had been called to check if contaminants had leaked into the nearby steam.
A neighbouring couple, who didn't want to be named, said they were asleep with their ranch slider door open about 11pm when they heard a massive bang that woke them up.
"I thought someone had slammed the door," the woman said.
Classic cars are among the damage in a Paradise Valley fire. Photo / Andrew Warner
"It just went boom. Then there were five to six big booms."
Alec Martin, an emergency response team member who lives in the area, said he and his children headed to the scene after hearing "a real loud explosion" last night.
Eight fire appliances and four tankers were sent to the scene.
A large house fire broke out on Paradise Valley Road, in Rotorua, about 11pm. Photo / Supplied
"We shot down and found the house was full on ablaze," he said.
"We parked up in the driveway and I tried to get the lady out of the neighbouring house but she was too scared to leave. My daughter called the fire brigade.
"That house was a couple of hundred metres from the fire but I was worried about it spreading. She ended up coming out in the end but the fire crews stopped it spreading that far."
Martin said the building on fire was a "workman's shed".
"It was huge and crazy hot. The shed had gas canisters and chemicals so there were quite a few explosions, it was pretty freaky.
"It was away from the house but it burnt out all the neighbouring trees and stuff. There is a guy who stays in the shed so we were a bit worried someone was in there but thankfully not."
There were initial reports of people inside the home, but it was later established that the residents were not at home when the fire broke out.
A large house fire broke out on Paradise Valley Road, in Rotorua, about 11pm. Photo / Supplied
A fire truck and tanker stayed at the scene through the night to monitor for hotspots.
Local resident Alley James said he and his neighbours were walking around their properties about 11pm because they could smell the smoke and he and his mother-in-law up the hill and another neighbour down the road were walking around their properties checking to see if the smoke smell was coming from near them.
"Twenty minutes later a loud bang was heard. Originally, I thought it was just a hunter shooting a high powered rifle. All of a sudden a massive explosion was not only heard but felt as well.
"Flames licked the night sky as the surrounding trees and foliage were set ablaze."
He described the smell as being like plastic burning. He said neighbours all rushed to call emergency services.
James, who had lived in the area for 16 years, said he didn't know the people who lived at the house and understood they hadn't been there long.
Damage from a fire at a Paradise Valley property last night. Photo / Kelly Makiha
Another neighbour, who didn't want to be named, said a woman lived in the house (on the property) and a man lived in a nearby house bus.
She was one of several neighbours who heard the explosion and also called emergency services.
She said she and her family came down to look but left the area to let the large contingent of firefighters do their job to contain the fire as there were fears of it spreading to surrounding bush and trees.
