Fireball consumes Wairarapa home

GUTTED: The ruins of John Cullinane's Matarawa home. PHOTO/LYNDA FERINGA

A blaze that could have started as a result of Monday's huge earthquake destroyed a Matarawa home early yesterday.

The home, belonging to John Cullinane who has been away from Wairarapa for about three weeks, was engulfed in flames when neighbours alerted Carterton Fire Brigade about 4.30am.

Although firefighters had no hope of saving the rural home, fighting the blaze was not helped by the fact a long driveway leading to the house and two other properties was overgrown, said fire chief Wayne Robinson.

Mr Robinson said rural dwellers should remember if a stock truck cannot get along their driveways then neither can a fire truck.

Greytown and Masterton fire engines had been called to help out but it had been necessary to use a chainsaw to help clear the way to the burning home.

A neighbour awoke to find Mr Cullinane's home was a "giant fireball" and rang 111.

Mr Robinson said although the cause of the fire had been documented as "undetermined" it could possibly have had its origins in the 4pm Monday earthquake.

This was always possible when people left appliances, such as a television, on standby.

"An earthquake can cause a television to fall off its stand and if it is connected to a live power source the connection can stretch causing a fire to start," Mr Robinson said.