Two houses and a village centre have been badly damaged in three fires in Hawke's Bay less than two days apart.
The first was at a house in Westshore on Friday afternoon, the second in a Hastings house about 24 hours later, and the third in a pavilion at Frasertown in northern Hawke's Bay on Saturday night.
Residents helped to subdue a fire which raged in the kitchen of a house on Sussex St, Hastings, and which was reported just before 3pm on Saturday.
Hastings Fire Station senior station officer Mike Peachey said a stove had caused a rangehood to heat up, and fire spread into the kitchen wall.
Fortunately, neighbours kept the fire at bay with garden hoses and it was well contained when fire crews arrived.