A fire which destroyed a homestead near Raglan this morning was caused by an overloaded multiple electrical socket in the kitchen.
A 76-year-old woman who was alone in the rural Wainui Rd house woke to the heat coming from the kitchen about 1.30am today.
Raglan fire chief Kevin Holmes said she noticed there was a fire and walked into the kitchen to see flames.
"She said the heat woke her up."
Her son's family lived about 50m and her grandson heard his grandmother yelling from the house.