Second fire in same unit kills man

File photo / Herald on Sunday

The fire that killed a 51-year-old Kaitaia man this morning was the second blaze in the same unit this year.

Firefighters were called to Summerville Ave about 7.30am to find one of two adjoining flats burning fiercely.

After being told there may be a person in the flat, firefighters wearing breathing apparatus went inside and found the man's body in the lounge, said Kaitaia chief fire officer Colin Kitchen.

It appeared the man was overcome by smoke as he tried to escape and his body was quite badly burnt, he said.

Mr Kitchen said they had been called to a fire at the same apartment at the end of January.

"It was unattended cooking on the stove."

The man tried to get out of the unit today but both exits were blocked, Mr Kitchen said.

Kaitaia was blanketed by heavy fog this morning which may have prevented the alarm being raised earlier, he said.

"It (fire) could have been brewing for quite some time before someone heard a bang and the window was blown out."

Police said the name of the deceased will be released when next of kin have been notified.

- NZ Herald staff, NZPA