UPDATED 6.05pm: A child playing with a lighter was allegedly the cause of a house fire in Ngatai Rd this afternoon, according to Mount Maunganui fire station officer Roger Pickett.
He said the fire had been contained to one bedroom but the rest of the house had a bit of smoke damage.
The occupant of the house managed to get the children out but he was taken to hospital to be treated for smoke inhalation.
EARLIER: A small house fire broke out at a Ngatai Rd address shortly before 4pm today.
Fire fighters were called to the house at 3.45pm and a fire service northern communications spokesperson said they were still at the house monitoring any possible embers.
Two people from the house were taken to hospital by St John to be treated for smoke inhalation.
The fire service northern communications spokesperson said the cause of the fire was not known yet but he believed fire fighters were not treating it as suspicious.