Person hurt in fire at Canterbury property, blaze at vacant house in central Christchurch

A Christchurch central city house has been badly-damaged in a fire overnight. Photo / Katie Oliver

A fire at a property in Culverden in North Canterbury has sent a person to hospital overnight, while a house has also caught fire in central Christchurch.

Fire and Emergency NZ southern shift manager Simon Lyford said two crews were sent to the Culverden property after fielding multiple calls around 11.20pm.

On arrival, they found a building “well involved” in fire, along with a person who had sustained burns. It was unclear if the burning building was a shed or had been converted to a home, Lyford said.

Crews worked to extinguish the fire while providing first aid until an ambulance arrived and took the injured person to hospital.

A St John spokesperson said, “we responded with one first response unit, one ambulance and one rapid response vehicle.”

“One patient was treated and transported to hospital in a serious condition.”

Firefighters also spent more than four hours battling a blaze in a vacant house on Worcester St in central Christchurch, where it was initially thought two people were unaccounted for.

A Christchurch central city house has been badly-damaged in a fire overnight. Photo / Katie Oliver

Fire and Emergency NZ (Fenz) was called around 10.45pm to the two-storey home, which was “well involved” when the first three crews arrived, Lyford said. They called a second alarm which pulled in a fourth appliance from Woolston, along with a ladder truck.

The house - measuring around 20m by 15m - had two areas on fire, in the lower floor and roof, Lyford said.

Crews spent more than four hours putting out the fire. Fire investigators will attend the scenes of both fires this morning.

A police spokeswoman said the house, between Barbadoes St and Fitzgerald Ave, was vacant.

Police were working with Fenz to determine the cause of the fire.

Emergency services initially believed two people could be unaccounted for but that appears to have been incorrect, according to Fenz and police.

Fire investigators will attend the scenes of both fires this morning.