Elderly man believed victim of fire

An elderly man is believed to have been the victim of a fatal house fire in the eastern Bay of Plenty yesterday.

Fire broke out at the Whanarua Bay house, between Te Kaha and Waihau Bay 107km northeast of Opotiki, about 3pm, Fire Service northern communications shift manager Jaron Phillips said.

Firefighters recovered a body from inside the house, which was left completely gutted and close to collapse.

A neighbour told a local radio station the residents of the house were a well-known Maori family in the small community.

The property remained cordoned off today as police and fire safety investigated the cause of the blaze.

- NZPA