Whitianga shed fire: One person dead after weekend blaze

One person has died following a shed fire at a residential property in Whitianga.

A neighbouring resident, just across the road from the blaze, described a smell of burning plastic before rushing outside to see emergency services at a scene filled with black smoke.

Bruce Ferguson said he was looking around his house to try and find out where the smell was coming from before discovering the scene of the fire across the road.

“We were just inside, and I could smell burning plastic, and I was looking around the house to try and find out what it was, and I came out the front, and there were two fire trucks and an ambulance.

“It was just black smoke coming out.”

Ferguson said he did not know the residents at the address.

One person has died following a fire at this Whitianga property on April 7.

Emergency services were alerted to the fire in Cholmondeley Cres about 5.20pm on Sunday and a person was found dead inside the building, police said this morning.

A scene guard has been in place overnight, and police will be working with fire investigators to determine the cause of the fire.

A Fire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman said when crews arrived the shed, which measured about 15m by 9m, was “well ablaze”.

The spokesman said Fire and Emergency services were called to the fire at about 5.19pm. Two fire trucks and one support vehicle were dispatched to the incident.

“The fire was contained to the shed and has since been extinguished.”

The spokesman said two fire investigators would return to the property today.