Bethlehem fire: Thick black smoke over Millbrook Drive

A large fire at a house in Bethlehem sent thick, black smoke over the Tauranga suburb this morning.

Readers have reported the smoke rising from a house on Millbrook Drive. Photos and a video also show thick smoke in the area.

Fire and Emergency New Zealand northern fire communications shift manager Lauren Sika said it received multiple calls at 11.46am.

A large house fire in Bethlehem, Tauranga. Photo / Bijou Johnson

“When we arrived, we found a two-storey house well involved.

“All people are accounted for.”

A second alarm was put out, calling for extra crews.

“The fire is now contained, and we have three crews, one each from Mount Maunganui, Tauranga and Greerton, completing an overhaul.”

Thick smoke over Bethlehem this morning.

Bethlehem resident Theo Lees said the house was burning for about 45 minutes before Fire and Emergency arrived.

At 11.50am, he smelled plastic burning.

“I looked outside and a wave of big smoke swept across my yard.”

He saw the fire brigade arrive about 12.15pm.

He went outside to see what happened and spoke to a man who identified himself as the home owner.

Emergency crews attending the house fire in Bethlehem. Photo / Bijou Johnson

The man looked “gutted”, Lees said.

A reporter at the scene said just before 1pm that it “looks like firefighters are still in the process of putting the fire out” and that there was still smoke rising from inside the home.