An investigation into a fire that ripped through a wooden house in Whangarei has failed to determine the cause.
Quick action by Whangarei firefighters saved the house on William Jones' Dr from being completely destroyed last Friday afternoon while its occupants were away. The house sustained extensive smoke damage, particularly to its roof and ceiling.
Fire investigator Gary Beer confirmed the fire started from the living room but could not determine its cause. "It will now officially be termed an undetermined fire. We'd like to find the cause and you can have theories about how it may have started but it has to be factually determined," he said.
Mr Beer said should more information come to light, the investigation could be revisited. Often the amount of destruction made it difficult to pinpoint the cause of a fire, he said.
If insured, the insurance company may choose to arrange for a private investigator to determine the house fire's cause, he said.
Mr Beer said as far as the New Zealand Fire Service was concerned, the purpose of investigating the cause of a blaze was to ensure it did not happen again rather than to apportion blame on anyone.