Fire crews are responding to a house fire in Ngongotahā.
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokeswoman told the Rotorua Daily Post the initial call about the blaze came at 2.08pm.
“There are two fire appliances in attendance with a support vehicle.”
More vehicles had been dispatched to the scene.
She described the fire as “well-involved”.
Local business owner Shelly Davies said when she first saw the smoke outside her home she thought it was “just more misty rain”.
“We’ve been having such bad weather lately,” Davies said.
“Then I heard a siren and then there was another siren.”
Davies said she looked out her window and found that her home was surrounded by smoke.
“By the time the smoke reached us it was white. We’re about 80m from where the fire is.
“But when I went out on to the road the smoke was brown.”
Davies said she thought that it was a shed that was on fire and that it looked like the fire crews had the fire under control.
“There was a lot of smoke for about half an hour but now it seems to be dying down.”
Davies said traffic had been diverted down Waiteti Rd.
More to come.
The police officer wore the gang patch vest over his police uniform.