Electric cat mat starts house fire, singes cat

Fire crews turned up at a house fire in Hauraki caused by a specially-made electric cat mat. Photo / File

An electric cat mat was behind an inferno that damaged a house in Auckland this morning - one of three animal rescues today.

Fire crews have been busy responding to the events, that also included a power line fire started by a bird and a horse stuck in a creek.

Fire Service spokesman Daniel Nicholson said a two-storey house on Norman Rd, Hauraki caught alight at 4.30am.

Investigations found it was caused by a specially-made electric cat mat - and that the cat was sitting on it at the time.

The cat was "singed", but otherwise okay.

Mr Nicholson said initial reports suggested people were trapped inside the house, but fire crews arrived to find them evacuated.

The house suffered some damage and had to be ventilated, he said.

At 7am, crew were called to power lines on fire on Bayswater Ave, Bayswater.

The fire was sparked by a bird on the lines, said Mr Nicholson.

At 5.15pm crews were again dispatched to an animal-related incident - this time an upside down horse in a creek.

Mr Nicholson said the horse was upside down in the creek near Candia Rd in Henderson Valley.

Crews used shovels and ropes to free the horse about 6.30pm, he said.

The horse was left in the care of the SPCA and veternarians.