“The interior of the house was fully on fire.”
SO Grimson said there was nothing they could do to save the rented house.
“Our first priority was to stop the fire spreading to neighbouring homes, particularly the one on the western side of the house, which was only about four metres away.
“We got a ground monitor going that sprayed water between the two houses. We were able to contain it and stop it affecting the neighbouring property.”
He said because the fire had such a hold they then concentrated on an external attack on the intense inferno.
“We ascertained that the three people in the house at the time the fire started had got out OK.”
The decramastic tile roof of the 1930s bungalow-style home collapsed and only the remains of the exterior walls were still standing on three sides.
“About 20 percent of the building is still standing at the back, but the rest of it was severely damaged,” SO Grimson said.
The neighbour in the house on the western side had made a cup of tea and was sitting on her front porch when she heard screams from next door.
“I ran out to the front of my house to see what was happening and saw the black smoke, so I called 111,” said Elizabeth Tangaere.
“The people in the house were across the road by that stage.
“It’s devastating watching something like that, to see that house burn the way it did.” she said.
“I was just so relieved that no one was hurt. Lives are not replaceable, possessions are.”
The people in the home lost everything they owned.
Fire crews were there until 6pm mopping up, and returned for a final check at 8.30pm.
Specialist fire investigator Derek Goodwin was called in to try to establish a cause which at this stage remains undetermined.
A St John ambulance crew attended and the crew checked out the three occupants of the house.
“They were all OK,” an ambulance spokesman said.
SO Grimson said the occupants of the house were devastated by what had happened.
Victim Support have offered their assistance.
