Electronic fire destroys two cars in Kaitaia carpark

Fire and Emergency engines rushed to a Kaitaia car park when two vehicles caught alight. Photo / Bevan Conley.

Sunday was a bad day for the owner of a brand new car that went up in flames after an electronic device sparked a fire in the vehicle next to it.

The blaze was so large that Ahipara fire chief, Dave Ross, initially thought it must have been a house fire.

The device is thought to have caught alight after overheating inside a car parked in a Kaitāia parking lot around 12.30 pm.

Volunteer firefighters from Ahipara and Kaitāia fire responded to the callout which turned into an hour-long battle with the blaze.

The car first to go up in flames was completely destroyed and the neighbouring vehicle is most likely written off, Ross said.

However, both cars were unoccupied and no one was injured.

Ross said the fire was a reminder not to leave electrical devices in cars.

Devices such as laptops can overheat when placed on soft surfaces like car seats because the heat cannot escape as it does on a hard surface, he said.