KEY POINTS:
A woman is dead and two other people have suffered serious burns after a house fire in Haumoana, a coastal settlement near Hastings.
Firefighters were called to the fire at the Grange Road address just after 3am today to find the house well alight.
The woman's body was found after the fire had been brought under control.
Fire service communications said two people were also seriously injured in the fire and were in Hawke's Bay hospital.
Firefighters from Haumoana and Hastings attended the blaze, which took about an hour to control.
Fire safety investigators were looking into the cause of the blaze.
Detective Senior Sergeant Dave de Lange said no names would be released until family members had been advised.
- NZPA
