Napier: No arrests over suspicious fire which destroyed Kāinga Ora home

A police probe into a suspicious house fire which destroyed a Kāinga Ora home in Napier has not led to any arrests.

Police have “exhausted all avenues of investigation” into the large blaze on Sunday, May 11, along Sully Crescent in Onekawa.

The house was being rebuilt after another big house fire on the site seven months before.

The rebuild construction was well advanced, including a new roof being added shortly before the latest blaze, neighbours said.

The fire completely destroyed the home, which no one was living in.

Aftermath of the fire on Scully Cres, Napier. The site has since been cleared. Photo / Gary Hamilton-Irvine

It also damaged a neighbour’s house.

Police confirmed no arrests had been made.

“Despite a number of enquiries ... police exhausted all avenues of investigation, and the case was filed last month,” a police spokesman said.

“Police will assess any new information ... but at this time there are no further lines of enquiry.”

Kāinga Ora Housing NZ owns the property.

Graeme Broderick, Kāinga Ora’s regional director for the East North Island, said it was likely there would be a rebuild and it was assessing options for the development.

“Any work onsite recently is associated with demolition of the house remains and ensuring the site is cleared and safe.”

“It is very frustrating that this home was again severely damaged by fire.

“We had already completed a lot of work reinstating this home after the 2024 fire and it would have been available for a family in need to move into shortly.”

The site has been cleared and is vacant.

Neighbours were evacuated during the fire in May, with one neighbour stating “it was like an inferno”.

Gary Hamilton-Irvine is a Hawke’s Bay-based reporter who covers a range of news topics including business, councils, breaking news and cyclone recovery. He formerly worked at News Corp Australia.