Pāpāmoa family’s home catches fire

The owner of a home that caught fire in Pāpāmoa this morning says it’s “absolutely devastating,” but his family is safe.

Three fire crews were called to the scene on Barbara Grove just after 8am.

The fire is out and crews left about 11.20am, a Fire and Emergency NZ spokeswoman said.

A fire investigator went to the scene, but there was nothing to suggest the fire was suspicious, she said.

The house owner, who only wanted to be called Hamish, told NZME no one was home at the time.

Smoke across Maldives Way in Pāpāmoa. .

”We were out, we just dropped the kids off at daycare, [and] came back to drop the car seat off.

“No one’s hurt, [it] can be rebuilt.“

He said the damage was confined to the front of the house, but there was “smoke damage everywhere”.

Smoke billows from the house fire in Pāpāmoa. Photo / Scott Inglis

A Fire and Emergency NZ spokesman said three crew from Greerton, Tauranga and Mount Maunganui went.

NZME senior editor Scott Inglis spotted smoke billowing in the area and called the fire brigade, which had already been alerted to the fire.

Inglis said he later noticed smoke coming out from the top of the house and under the roof.

A neighbour, who did not want to be named, said she woke up this morning to her house full of smoke.

“We rushed outside, the house behind [was] burning down. We couldn’t leave the dog because the house is full of smoke.

Fire and Emergency NZ crews at the scene of a house fire on Barbara Grove in Pāpāmoa. Photo / Scott Inglis

“Everything is going to stink, but it’s nothing compared to what these people are facing.”

Inglis said the fire had been extinguished and the house looked “seriously damaged”.

A caption in this article has been corrected to say Maldives Way.