Police hunt ute driver after fatal house blaze

Police have launched a murder inquiry after a Northland family woke to find their house ablaze early yesterday morning.

Although four people escaped the fire, a body was found in the house, and a person who drove away from the fire in a vehicle owned by the family is being sought by police.

The five-member family run a small cattle and calf-rearing unit on a 16ha block at Akerama, 35km north of Whangarei.

A blue 1996 Toyota Hilux ute, which could have run out of petrol, was found abandoned in a bus lane on the southbound side of the Auckland northern motorway just before the Onewa Rd exit around 4.30am.

Until the body inside the house was formally identified, the police said, they could not be sure who was driving the vehicle.

An Akerama resident told the Herald last night that the body found inside the house was expected to be that of a 22-year-old female boarder who had been a close family friend for many years and whose family also lived in the area.

Police said the 50-year-old father was woken by smoke alarms in the house where he lived with his 43-year-old wife, their son and two teenage daughters aged 19 and 16.

Detective Sergeant Rhys Johnston, from the Kaikohe police, said the father yelled out to everyone that there was a fire.

"He's managed to escape outside. He was going for a hose to try and put it out as best as he could when it's gone up further."

One daughter got out but his wife and second daughter were upstairs and unable to get past the flames. They eventually jumped out a window.

The family saw the ute leave the property while the house was still burning.

They suffered smoke inhalation and minor burns, and were released from the Bay of Islands hospital last night.

About 15 homes are scattered along Akerama Rd or its side roads.

The house was already well alight when fire crews arrived.

Mr Johnston wanted to hear from any witnesses to the ute's movements, or anyone who had picked up a hitchhiker around the Takapuna area early yesterday.

Police also appealed for anyone who had seen the ute travelling south, or stopping on the motorway, to contact their nearest station.

Mr Johnston said the fire was being treated as suspicious, though the cause would be difficult to determine because of the extensive damage.