Firefighters tackle shed fire at Whakamārama in Western Bay of Plenty

An explosion during a large fire in Whakamārama on Sunday evening caused a witness’s house to “shake and [made] windows rattle”, while another likened the noise to an earthquake.

Five fire engines and other support vehicles were called to a property on Turner Rd at 7.54pm where a shed fire was “fully involved”, according to a Fire and Emergency NZ (Fenz) spokeswoman.

There was also mention of two to three vehicles and a gas cylinder at the fire, but the spokeswoman could not confirm if these items were in the shed.

Fiona Spalding said the “big explosion” made their “whole house shake and windows rattle”.

She said she lived “quite a distance away”, but could see the flames get bigger, hear “cracking and popping” and smell smoke.

Large fire at an address in Whakamārama on Sunday night. Photo / Supplied

Another resident, who did not want to be named, told the Bay of Plenty Times she heard a “really loud bang” about 8pm.

“It sounded like it was inside the house, but then we heard a lot of birds take off outside too.”

A woman who lives three kilometres from the blaze said she heard a “loud cracking” and “creaking” noise, similar to the noise of an earthquake.

”We thought it was an earthquake at first, but there was no shake.”

Fiona Spalding said the "big explosion" made their "whole house shake and windows rattle".

She said it wasn’t until after she saw a post on social media that she realised what she heard “must have been the explosion from the fire”.

She believed what she felt was a sound wave, or something similar, from the explosion.

Another nearby resident said the fire got “bigger and bigger” and “there was a massive explosion” not long after firefighters arrived.

She believed the blaze was on a property that provided firewood.

A woman, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said she saw what looked to be a house fire in the distance.

”Seconds later, I heard what sounded like an earthquake without the rumble, followed by an extreme shockwave that shook furniture inside my house.”

On Monday afternoon, a Fenz spokeswoman said an investigator attended the site and there was no mention of it being suspicious.

There was no information on the size of the fire, she said.