Three people injured in Auckland house fire

A house is destroyed by fire on Bushland Park Dr, Albany, on the North Shore in the early hours of Thursday morning. Photo / Supplied

As a large fire quickly ravaged a house in Albany, people in neighbouring houses continued to sleep - until one man began banging on doors and yelling: "Get up!''

There were dramatic scenes on Bushlands Park Dr, after a blaze started at a two-storey house early this morning.Emergency and fire crews were called there at 1.30am.

Authorities said everyone who had been inside had got out - but three people were taken to hospital for treatment. One had suffered moderate injuries while the others had minor injuries. A neighbour, who asked only to be known as Jo, told the Herald of the panic and rush for neighbours to get out of their homes when they realised the danger.

She said a man alerted neighbouring homes on the shared driveway - running to each house, banging on doors and yelling: "Get out!''

"We were sleeping and I just could hear banging noises and really loud crackling. Then I could hear screaming and shouting. I thought it might be teenagers running around.

"I had a look and there was this woman screaming outside. [She was] wearing a robe, just running down the street. I saw a man running around banging on doors,'' she said.

"I looked up and there was a massive blaze up the hill. It was just so distressing. We called the cops around 1.30am. We called the firemen. The house was already ablaze. We weren't sure if there were fatalities - if anyone had got out."

Huge flames could be seen from afar and windy weather added to the panic, Jo said.

"Everyone was frantic. It was just horrible.

"There were big trees and the trees were catching on fire. And the wind was really strong."

Residents rallied around, providing coffee and helping anyone who needed support.

Jo praised firefighters, who stayed at the house for several hours.

She called the man who alerted neighbours a hero.

"He was shouting to just get out - alerting the neighbours who were close to the house. His partner said their CCTV camera had caught the flames signal."

The house is now a shell of what it was.

Authorities are yet to reveal the exact cause of the blaze.