Neighbours banded together to help fight a fire which took hold of a house in Gate Pa yesterday.
Four fire trucks were called to the blaze which resulted in extensive damage to the porch, kitchen and roof space of a two-storey rented home on Humber Cres about 2pm.
A man and woman who lived next door to the burning house told the Bay of Plenty Times they grabbed a garden hose to help the occupant of the house put the fire out.
The couple, neither of whom wanted to be named, said they were at home when the woman saw the fire and heard loud popping sounds. She yelled out to the man in the house to get out.
The woman said other residents in the street also joined in and grabbed their hoses to do the same until the fire brigade arrived.
Tauranga fire brigade senior station officer Phil Price said the fire was "well involved" when the first crew arrived with lots of smoke billowing from the house.
Mr Price said it appeared the fire started in the back porch area of the house and spread up the kitchen windows and into the roof space
"Although there's lots of smoke damage we managed to save most of the front part of the house and its contents. The main fire damage is to the back porch area, kitchen and the quite significant damage in the roof space," he said.
Mr Price said the cause of the fire was still being investigated.
The man who was in the house was checked over by a St John's Ambulance staff member at the scene but did not need hospital treatment.
His stunned flatmate who said she had just arrived home from walking the dog was badly shaken and too upset to talk further.
Fire Brigade officers were still dampening down hot spots at 3pm and finally left the property about 5.30pm.