A woman says volcano-like flames lit up the night sky as a South Auckland home erupted into flames.
Police confirmed they had recovered a body from the Nina Pl property where a fire broke out just after midnight yesterday.
Another person was taken to Middlemore Hospital with extensive burns.
A woman, who lives on Smedley St, said she and her son were relaxing on their front yard when her son saw a "big fire".
"My son thought it was a volcano so we went to have a look and made sure it wasn't one of our friends' or the place of someone we knew."
It was very alarming, she said.
A witness, who saw the aftermath of the blaze, earlier described the house as being torched black with only the bare structure left behind.
Fire crews and emergency staff were called to the property on Nina Pl in Manurewa at 12.10am.
Three ambulances and one clinical manager were also sent to the fire.
"We assessed and treated one patient with serious injuries who was transported to Middlemore Hospital," a spokesperson from St John said.
Counties Manukau CIB's Detective Senior Sergeant Veronica McPherson said police were continuing to investigate the circumstances of a death in Manurewa on Saturday night.
"A scene guard remains in place at the Nina Place address, with a post-mortem to take place in due course.
"As part of this formal identification procedures are still to be carried out."
The male occupant of the address remains in Middlemore Hospital, McPherson said.
Earlier police had said they would continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the fire, supported by Fire and Emergency New Zealand.
The Supreme Court found a detective's evidence on gang heirarchies was inadmissable.