The fire spread from a house on Alexander St, Greymouth, to a close neighbouring property. Image / Google Maps
Two Greymouth houses have been destroyed after a fire in one spread to the other.
Fire and Emergency shift manager Jill Higgison said the fire began in one Alexander St house about 1.30am and jumped to the other because they were so close.
No one was hurt.
Five fire trucks were sent to help and crew from three remain at the scene this morning.
Two classrooms were also badly damaged in a fire at Sacred Heart Girl's College in Hamilton overnight.
The fire was discovered just before midnight and 40 firefighters spent five hours putting it out.
Fire and Emergency shift manager Paul Redden said the top floor of a two-storey block was on fire when crews arrived.
The fire is now out and a fire investigator will be at the school this morning to determine the cause.
In a third incident in the last 12 hours a Tokoroa man was flown by rescue helicopter to Waikato Hospital after he was rescued, unconscious, from his smoke-logged home on John St at 7.45pm.
He was in a critical condition last night.
A dog found unconscious in the house was also given oxygen at the scene.
The new free open-air saltwater pool is already proving popular.