Bay firefighters battle house blaze

A Katikati home is gutted after a fire swept through the house early this morning.

Firefighters from Katikati Volunteer Fire Brigade spent about two hours battling a blaze on Te Rereatukahia Pa Rd.

Fire communications shift manager Nicole Bernard said the house was "well alight" when firefighters arrived, about 4.30am.

She said it was a small house, measuring about 10m by 15m.

Katikati Volunteer Fire Brigade deputy fire officer Peter Carney said they found the house well involved and it collapsed as they arrived.

He said the fourteen fire fighters used the water from their two appliances and the water tanker to dampen down the blaze.

When the Katikati Advertiser called a spokesperson for the occupants, they said the occupants were in shock, did not want to speak to anyone and would not allow photos to be taken.

Nobody was hurt in the fire.

Meanwhile crew from Tauranga Fire Brigade were called to a small scrub fire just after 9.30pm last night.

A spokesperson said the scrub fire was very small and it didn't take long for firefighters to extinguish the blaze.

In Bowentown, about 15 volunteer firefighters from Waihi Beach and Athenree spent more than an hour dampening down a blaze in Seaforth Rd, Bowentown, about 8.40pm last night.

Waihi volunteer fire brigade chief Ian Smith said it appeared the fire was deliberately lit, because of where the fire was.

"It's a reserve there, it's a grassy, scrub area on the side of the road."

He said the fire measured about 40m long and 20m deep.

"The difficult thing with this is that it's so dry and the strong wind allows the fire to spread very easily."