Gisborne house gutted by fire: ‘Flames shooting high into the night sky’

A firefighter battles a house fire at a Childers Rd address on Thursday night. Flames spread rapidly through the old native timber home which was all but destroyed. Photo / Wynsley Wrigley

A fire that ripped through an old house in Childers Road is being treated as suspicious.

The large native timber house, on a section alongside the playing fields of the former St Mary’s School site, caught fire about 8.40pm on Thursday.

It was burning fiercely when firefighters arrived.

“It was fully involved when we got there, with flames coming out the doors and windows and starting to come through the roof,” a senior firefighter said.

“There were people living in there, squatters apparently, and they all got out okay.”

There have been reports the house was occupied by squatters, all of whom were said to have escaped the fire unhurt. Photo / Murray Robertson

The fire spread so fast it took fire crews a while before they could get inside to fight the fire at close quarters.

“We had a team protecting the house next door with a hose and we set up a monitor spray device to get water inside the burning house.

“Eventually we were able to get inside with breathing apparatus and hoses and knock it.”

It took about an hour to put out.

A neighbour said he heard loud popping noises that he thought was a car backfiring.

“But the noises continued and then I heard the approaching fire sirens.”

He went outside to have a look.

“There were flames shooting high into the night sky from the burning house,” he said. “There was some concern from other neighbours about the people inside because we had heard there were people squatting in there.

“It certainly looked like the house would be completely lost, and that’s what’s happened.”

Firefighters were able to protect the house next door from the flames. Photo / Wynsley Wrigley

The fire crews were there until after midnight dampening down.

Gisborne brigade volunteers supported the professional crews, and Patutahi and Manutuke volunteers brought appliances into the city as support at the fire scene and to man the Gisborne Fire Station during the emergency.

“The old house was extensively damaged,” the senior firefighter said. “It was gutted inside and the roof had partially collapsed.

“The cause has been treated as suspicious.”

Fire investigators went through the blackened interior remains to try and establish how it started. Photo / Murray Robertson

Specialist fire investigators have examined the remains.

The investigation continued at the time the Gisborne Herald went to print last night.