Cause of fatal house fire in Whitby, Porirua still unknown

• One person died and another was injured in a house fire in Whitby, Porirua, early this morning.
• At least six fire trucks were sent, and police are assisting with the investigation.
• The cause of the fire is still unknown.

One person died and another was injured in a house fire in Whitby, Porirua in the early hours of this morning.

A dog also died during the blaze on Lanyon Pl.

Assistant Commander Steve Hudson said they received a 111 call “indicating there was smoke in the area”.

The scene of a fatal house fire in Whitby, Porirua where one person and a dog died overnight. Photo / Mark Mitchell.

He said they initially only sent one fire truck but when they realised it was “an actual fire” they “quickly upgraded it”.

“From there, crews entered the property and unfortunately found two people and one of them was deceased.”

He said they still are unsure of the cause of the fire.

Firefighters assess the damage. Photo / Mark Mitchell

A Fire and Emergency spokesperson confirmed the death and said crews were sent out at 2.30am after multiple calls.

At least six fire trucks were sent to the scene and police were also assisting.

A police spokesperson said Fire and Emergency and police would be carrying out a scene examination today to determine the cause of the fire.

“Police are providing support to the family of those involved.”

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