House fire victim found in wardrobe

A man who died in a house fire in the Auckland suburb of Avondale early today was found crouching in a wardrobe.

Police say they are treating the fire as a crime scene because of unusual circumstances.

Firefighters called by a neighbour about 2.40am found the house in Blockhouse Bay Road well ablaze.

The victim, who is yet to be identified, was found crouched inside a wardrobe and was dragged out by firemen, but they were unable to revive him.

Senior station officer Alec Betteridge said there could be a simple explanation for him being in the wardrobe. "Quite possibly he hid in there thinking he might be able to escape, but it didn't work," he said.

The dead man was the only occupant of the house.

Fire Service shift manager Jaron Phillips said: "They searched the building and one person was removed.

"They used a defibrillator and carried out CPR on that person, but the victim died at the scene."

Police were this morning guarding the scene until it can be examined to determine the cause.

- NZPA