Two suspicious fires in 48 hours in South Hokianga

Little remains of this Omanaia home razed in a suspicious fire on Monday evening, the second suspicious blaze in the settlement in three days. Photo / Tania Whyte

Two homes have been razed by fire in a small South Hokianga settlement within 48 hours.

Both fires are suspicious but police say it's too early to draw a link between them.

The latest blaze was on Monday evening at Ōue, at the western end of Ōmanaia Rd where it joins State Highway 12.

Fire and Emergency NZ investigator Gary Beer said Rawene, Ōmapere, Kaikohe, Kohukohu and Ōkaihau brigades responded about 6.20pm.

The house was ''fully involved'' when firefighters arrived. They worked hard to extinguish the blaze but little remained of the home.

Beer said he had been unable to find a definitive cause but it appeared to have started around the back of the house in the kitchen area.

The family living at the address had gone out and discovered the fire when they returned home.

Less than 48 hours earlier, about 7.15pm on Saturday, another home on Omanaia Rd was destroyed by fire.

That dwelling had no mains power and was not permanently occupied but was used at times by family members. Rawene and Kaikohe brigades responded.

No one was home when the fire started and the house was burning fiercely when fire crews arrived.

The scene was placed under guard overnight with Beer and police detectives attending on Sunday morning.

Detective Senior Sergeant Mark Dalzell, of Northland police, said apart from the geographical connection it was too early to say if the fires were linked. The investigation was continuing.

Meanwhile, an earlier fire, at Twin Bridges south of Kaikohe, was most likely caused by rodents chewing on wiring. The alarm was raised about 5pm on Friday.

The Waimatenui Rd dwelling, which consisted of a cabin on a trailer connected to outbuildings, was destroyed.

Another fire, in the ceiling of a house at Motatau, south of Kawakawa, was called in at 8.30pm on Monday. Kawakawa and Towai brigades responded.

In that case the occupants were home at the time and managed to reach the fire by pulling off roofing iron and put it out before firefighters arrived.

Kawakawa fire chief Wayne Martin said the blaze appeared to have started in a chimney flue.

The volunteers used a thermal-imaging camera to make sure the blaze was fully extinguished. Damage was limited to the area around the flue, he said.