'It looked very dramatic': Property owner saw his shed on fire in Napier from kilometre away

A fire could be seen clearly on Hospital Hill on Thursday. Photo / Supplied

A fire that gutted a shed on an isolated outcrop of Hospital Hill overlooking the Ahuriri Estuary in Napier looked "very dramatic", especially for its owner.

The shed at the steep downhill northern end of Chaucer Rd North was ablaze when property owner Angus Galloway received a neighbour's text message while he was in the quayside and industrial area of Ahuriri about 3.45pm.

He looked up, saw the flames and smoke from perhaps a kilometre away, and said later: "I could see it straight away. It looked very dramatic."

But his fears were soon allayed as he drove home and found the fire still burning but well under control by Fire and Emergency crews.

The fire had not seriously threatened his home, and the shed, predating the site's house, which was built in 1975, was not used as a vehicle garage.

Crews fought the fire from the property and from a neighbour's section above the blaze, which collapsed the shed's roof.

Police attended but although the cause was not immediately apparent, the fire was not thought to have been suspicious. Nobody was thought to have ben on the property at the time.

Traffic into the narrow Chaucer Rd North was blocked for about an hour, and was also restricted on Napier Tce. Five fire appliances attended, although the fire was fought mainly by crew from two of the machines.

Police and fire have set up cordons at the south end of the road at the intersection of Napier Terrace. Photo / Doug Laing