Fire has destroyed a family home near Te Puke.
Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fenz) crews were called to the fire on Te Matai Rd about 1.45pm yesterday.
Te Puke fire chief Dale Lindsay said the fire, which destroyed a family home, was not suspicious and likely linked to a gas cylinder.
”A family lost everything,” Lindsay said.
He was unsure how many people lived there but said there were no injuries.
Crews battled the roughly 60sq m fire for three hours.
”People underestimate the grief and trauma of an all-loss fire,” Lindsay said.
He said there were major psychological impacts from losing everything, even with insurance.
Four fire trucks and a water tanker were sent to the house near the intersection with Te Kahika Rd.
A Fenz spokesman said nobody was inside the house at the time and the fire was extinguished by 3.50pm and crews left by 4pm.
Police also were called to the scene.
Hawke's Bay applicants on the housing register are down close to 20% this year.