Man dead in Whangarei house fire

A 29-year-old man is dead after a house fire in Whangarei early today.

Emergency services were called to the blaze on Jack St in Otangarei shortly after 1.30am.

Police said that firefighters located the victim's body in a bedroom.

It appeared he had succumbed to smoke inhalation.

Fire investigators had completed an initial inspection of the scene, and it appeared that the fire started in the kitchen area.

Police were not treating the incident as suspicious.

A post-mortem would be conducted later today.

- NZPA