Investigation into cause of Gisborne house fire

A house at the Manuka St-Lytton Rd corner was badly damaged by fire on Wednesday night. The cause is being investigated. Photo / Murray Robertson

A fire in an Elgin home on Wednesday night is under investigation as specialist fire investigators aim to identify how it started.

Fire and Emergency NZ were called to the house on the corner of Manuka St and Lytton Rd in Gisborne about 9.15pm.

“The property was quite well involved when the first crew got there,” a senior firefighter said.

“There were some flames showing and a lot of smoke.”

No one was home at the time.

The fire was centred in the kitchen area at the rear of the property and there was extensive fire damage in that area (pictured), with smoke damage throughout the home. Photo / Murray Robertson

“The people living there arrived back at the house while we were fighting the fire,” he said.

Three fire appliances were mobilised, and the crews were there until just before midnight.

“We believe it started in the kitchen area somehow, because that’s the part of the house that was extensively damaged,”

Firefighters were there for close to three hours. Photo / Murray Robertson

“An annexe was also fire-damaged.”

There was extensive smoke damage throughout the rest of the house.

“The cause has not been fully determined,” the senior firefighter said.

“It’s under investigation.”

A police spokeswoman said police were working alongside Fire and Emergency NZ to determine the cause of the fire and were making initial inquiries.