House fire kills one in Ohakune

A person is dead after fire ripped through an Ohakune house overnight.

Firefighters called to the Tawhero St property at 10.20pm arrived to find the building alight from end to end and the roof collapsed, Ohakune fire brigade officer-in-charge Kevin Munn said today.

Neighbours at the scene and others who knew the occupant had told emergency services they believed a person was inside.

Firefighters had taken about 15 minutes to get the blaze under control, Mr Munn said.

Because of safety concerns about the structure of the building firefighters had been unable to go inside the house.

About 20 firefighters, eight wearing breathing apparatus because of the heat and smoke, had fought the blaze, with two fire appliances from Ohakune, one from Raetihi and a tanker being sent to the scene, he said.

Damping down efforts had continued into this morning and police had set a scene guard overnight. Police and fire safety officers were to inspect the scene this morning.


The fire had got into some long grass around the house, but the absence of wind stopped it from spreading into surrounding trees.


A nearby resident, who did not want to be identified, said she had been awoken by fire sirens, and looking out a window had seen flames leaping well above the trees.


"There were flames everywhere," she said.


The burned house had been secluded and not visible from the road.


Police have yet to release any details about the dead person.


The blaze comes less than a fortnight after a house fire in South Auckland claimed the life of a brother and sister who had immigrated to this country with their Filipino family.


Eight-year-old Chelsea-May Lising, died in the February 20 fire, which started about 7am. Her 10-year-old brother, Jetal, died later in hospital.


On February 5 21-year-old Starsky Tareha died after going back into a burning house in Palmerston North, possibly to rescue a man who was already safely out.


On January 26 Phyliss Lincoln, 78, died at the scene of a fire in a Hastings house.


A day later a 40-year-old woman received burns to nearly all her body in a South Auckland house fire. Police said she had been looking after six children in the house.


- NZPA